


Have Faith in Me

by WalkingonFirex



Category: Smosh
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Ianthony - Freeform, Jovencorn, Lasershire, M/M, Marhinki, Parent!Ianthony, Smut, parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 12:45:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2310101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WalkingonFirex/pseuds/WalkingonFirex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A night of passion between the Smosh boys and a stranger results in something unexpected and before they know it, the boys are left to raise a baby girl. Ian couldn't be happier, but Anthony is less than enthused. He must learn to live with this new lifestyle and feelings between himself and Ian that have been brewing for years. Parent!Ianthony & Marhinki and Jovencorn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Just a head’s up, Kalel and Melanie will NOT be in this story so as to not offend anyone. If you like it, let me know! If you don’t, tell me! This will be WAY less heavy than Hollow lol. Rating MAY change to M in the future. Updates should be soon, we’ll see. And yes, it IS named for the A Day to Remember song!

A bright, streaming light awakened Ian Hecox one morning in mid-January. His eyes blinked over and over, annoyed at not only the sun for awaking him from his deep sleep, but also at the heavy weight slung over his shoulder. He realized then that the heavy weight was someone’s arm. He frowned, hot and sticky and unable to move. Opening his eyes again, he registered that he was not in his bedroom, but in fact, his best friend, Anthony’s. This wasn’t the first time that this had happened, but it _was,_ on the other hand, the first time he’d awakened in Anthony Padilla’s bed _naked_. 

 _Shit_ , Ian thought to himself, _fuck me, if this isn’t a fan fiction come true._  

Thankfully for Ian, there just so happened to be a sleeping _female_ brunette on his right side. 

Sighing in relief, Ian looked to get out of the bed. The only real problem was that Anthony was holding him in place, fast asleep. 

 _Must you?_ Ian thought, throwing the blanket and sheets off of himself and his bedmates in an attempt to exit the bed. Once he was in his own room, showered and dressed, he could try to rack his brain to figure out just what the hell happened the night before. But not before then. 

Moving forward proved difficult when he became aware of the fact that his ass stung. This could mean one of two things: either the sleeping chick was a freak or…

Ian shook his head. There wasn’t time to get excited about what probably didn’t happen. 

 _She probably just shoved her fingers up there_ , Ian relayed to himself, _besides, you gotta get out of here_. 

Ignoring the pain in his lower region, he slid himself forward, gingerly tossing his best friends’ arm off of his abdomen. Ian rolled forward, inching toward the end of the bed. He was almost there. 

That is, until the stupid chick decided to turn over, in the process kicking Ian in the head. 

His entire body flipped off of the bed and he hit the carpet with a thud. 

“Wha-?” Ian heard from the bed. 

 _Fuck_ , he thought to himself, hearing Anthony’s confusion. He climbed to his feet and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around his waist. 

“Hey, Anthony!” he exclaimed, “beautiful morning, huh? 

Anthony blinked before sitting up and yawning. “What the hell are you doing?” 

Ian shrugged. “I…Well, it was pretty and-“ 

“Wait,” Anthony interjected, glancing over at the sleeping girl beside him. “Who’s this? Ian, why’d you fuck a chick in my bed?” 

Ian shrugged. “Is that what happened?” 

“You mean, you don’t know?” Anthony asked waking up. 

Ian shook his head. “Afraid not.” 

Anthony sighed. “Well, I have a headache, you’re naked…I think, and there’s a chick in my bed that you didn’t bang and I don’t remember banging so I’m guessing we got drunk at the club last night and one of us brought her home.” 

Ian shrugged. “Sounds right to me. But which one of us did her? And how far did we go?” 

Anthony gave him a confused gaze. 

Suddenly, the two heard a yawn. Looking over at her, Ian noticed that she was sitting up, sheet wrapped around herself. She had long, _long_ chestnut brown hair and bright blue eyes that gave Ian’s a run for their money. She was obviously short, probably around 5’4 and _very_ curvy.

Anthony glanced over at Ian before turning his attention toward her. “Forgive me, but…who are you?” 

She gave him a hard look. “I’m Kara…We met at the club last night.” 

He gave her a blank expression. 

“You really don’t remember me, do you?” she asked. 

He shook his head, glimpsing at Ian. 

She sighed. “I was with with my friends and you two approached me. You both wanted me so I suggested we come back here and we…,” she trailed off, eyes darting from one man to the other. 

“We what?” Anthony asked, pulling the sheets securely around his waist. 

She grinned. “We had a threesome.” 

 


	2. Oh, Baby!

“What’s today?” Ian asked, looking up from his laptop at Anthony. 

Anthony was perched cross-legged on their sofa playing Zelda: Twilight Princess on their Wii. Sure it was an older game, but Anthony was especially fond of this one. He shrugged, pulling his iPhone out of his pocket. “April 16.”

“Thanks,” Ian replied, tapping it into Domino’s website. He and Anthony had long ago decided that they were hungry, but were far too lazy to get dressed, get into a car, and drive to the restaurant. Instead, Ian was ordering from the internet. He didn’t even feel like talking to anyone on the phone.

“You get pepperoni?” Anthony asked, sliding his phone back into his cutoff skinny jeans’ front pocket. 

“Duh,” Ian replied. 

 _Of course I did,_ Ian thought to himself, _it’s your favorite kind._

Ian clicked to send the order and then shut his laptop, ambling over to sit beside his best friend. 

“You started over,” Ian stated. 

Anthony nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to just play the whole thing all over again. I’m at the part with the cat.” 

Ian watched as a towns-lady’s lost cat darted after the fish Link had caught. He and Anthony both burst out laughing. 

“Dumbass cat,” Ian chuckled, shaking his head. 

Anthony stopped laughing, directing Link toward a shop. 

Checking his phone, Ian saw that he had a new text. It was from Mari. 

“Mari wants to know if it’s still cool if she and Sohinki come down for the weekend?” His eyes locked with Anthony’s. 

“Yep,” Anthony replied. Then he paused the game, smirking and dropping his voice low. “Unless you’ve got a hot girl coming over.” 

Ian blushed at Anthony’s tone and looked down. “Afraid not. The last time I had a girl over was…,” he immediately trailed off. The two of them hadn’t spoken about what had happened with Kara the club chick in over a year. It was too embarrassing for either one of them to even speak about. 

“Oh,” Anthony replied, unpausing the game and diverting his eyes to the television. “Sorry, man.”

 _Great Ian_ , _you just had to bring_ that _up._

Ian decided to turn the attention away from himself. “What about Alyssa? Is she coming over?” 

Anthony grinned, his rosy cheeks turning pinker and his dimples became more prominent. “Nah, she’s going away with a couple of her friends. But we should see her next week, I think.” 

Alyssa was tall, thin, had light brown hair and brown eyes…and Anthony was currently crazy about her. 

Needless to say, Ian was not. 

Abruptly, the doorbell rang. Ian shot Anthony a confused glance, as he had literally _just_ ordered their pizza. 

“That can’t be the pizza guy,” Anthony observed, “you just ordered it.”   
Ian nodded. “I know, dude.” Then shooting a smirk at Anthony he said, “maybe it’s Alyssa.” As Anthony blushed, Ian hopped off of the couch. 

The doorbell rang again and Ian frowned. “I’m coming! Jesus!” 

Ian flung the door open. “That was really qui-” He trailed off when he saw that it was _not_ the pizza guy. 

Standing on the door step of the Smosh house was Kara, the club chick. However, Ian barely recognized her as her appearance had done complete three-sixty. Her once long, shiny brown hair was dingy and thrown together into a loose ponytail, flyaways hanging around her face, which was completely free of makeup. Purple bags hung under her once sparkling blue eyes. In place of her trendy clothes he had last seen her in were a light gray T-shirt, pink sweatpants, and white Nikes. Her expensive Vera Wang shoulder bag had also been replaced by what looked to be a diaper bag. But the most shocking thing of all was what was on her left hip. 

A baby girl. 

The girl’s hair was long, from what Ian could tell, and dark brown. It was done up in two tight pigtails. Her skin was fair, but she had very pink cheeks. She was clad in a purple sweater, baby jeans, and white sneakers. She didn’t exactly look happy, either. In fact, she looked a bit… _sad_ , Ian concluded.

“H-hi Kara,” Ian stammered, “can I help you?” 

The short brunette stepped in the door without saying a word. She sat the pink plaid diaper bag on the grimy gray carpet of the living room and then sat the baby down, too. To Ian’s surprise, the baby didn’t so much as bat an eye. He glanced over at Anthony, who had paused his game and sat in stunned silence. Anthony shot him a confused glance and Ian could only shoot one right back. 

Ian bit his lip. “Uh…It’s nice to see you again,” he tried. 

Kara turned toward him frowning and heaved a sigh. “I wish I wasn’t here. I shouldn’t be, really. But it’s _your_ dumbass’ fault that I am.” 

Anthony furrowed his brow, puzzled. “What do you mean?” 

She all but glared at him. “Are you kidding me right now? I come in fifteen months after we all slept together _with_ a baby and you want to know _why_?” 

At first, Ian was still perplexed, but after a moment of registering the information that Kara was telling him, it finally clicked. 

 _I’m a dad_. 

Anthony swallowed hard, remaining silent.

“So…,” Ian trailed off, “so one of us got you pregnant?” 

She nodded. “Yes, you did. In January. In early May, I found out I was pregnant and it was too late for me to get an abortion, so I had to keep her-”

“Wait-” Anthony interjected, “you didn’t know for _four months_?” 

She nodded.   
“That’s bullshit,” he spat, “how could you _not_ know?” 

This time, she _did_ glare at him. “I just didn’t, idiot. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for some women to find out late. If they have no reason to believe they are pregnant, it’s easy for them to miss the symptoms.” 

Anthony shut up. 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Kara went on, “for the last six months, I’ve been taking care of her and I’m in my first year of grad school now. I can’t afford her, nor do I have the time to care for her. You guys have money and plenty of free time. And besides, whichever of the two of you that got me pregnant was too stupid to wear a condom and that’s not my fault-”

“Just what are you suggesting?” Ian interrupted. 

Her blank eyes shifted to him, a deadpan expression on her face. “It _means_ that I’m done. She’s yours now.” Without looking back, she began to head toward the door. 

Ian and Anthony shared a shock glance before Ian protested again. “You can’t just leave her here! We…We don’t know how to be parents! And more importantly, how do we know she’s one of ours?” 

Gritting her teeth, Kara turned around, her ponytail flipping over her shoulder. “I’m no whore. She’s either yours or Anthony’s and that’s up for you guys to decide.” She continued to walk toward the door. “Oh…By the way, her name’s Audrina Iris. You can pick her last name. I don’t give a shit anymore.” 

With that, Kara slammed the door and left her baby with Smosh. 

 


	3. She's Not Ours!

Ian’s jaw was on the floor when he glanced up at Anthony, who seemed a little unfazed at what had just transpired. 

“Uh…dude,” Ian tried, clearing his throat. 

“Yeah?” Anthony asked coolly. 

Ian frowned. “That…Kara just left her kid here.” 

Anthony nodded. “Yeah.” 

“And you’re fine with it?” Ian asked, furrowing his brow. 

His best friend shrugged. “Well, she’ll be back in a few hours.” 

“What if she doesn’t?” 

“She will,” Anthony replied. 

Ian sighed. “Suppose she doesn’t?” 

Anthony didn’t answer. He merely sat back down on their sofa, unpausing his game and settling back into his previous routine. 

Dumbfounded, Ian glanced down at the baby. Her big blue eyes were staring up at him sadly. 

“Amazing,” Ian murmured. 

“What?” Anthony asked, eyes still glued to the screen. 

Ian kneeled down in front of the baby girl. “She hasn’t cried since she got here…and her mom just left her. With strangers!” 

Again, Anthony did not reply. 

Ian glimpsed at her again, noticing how her eyes bore directly into his. When she blinked, he noticed her long brown eyelashes. She was a beautiful little girl, that was for sure. 

“You think maybe…,” Ian trailed off, coughing, “maybe she actually _is_ one of ours?” 

Anthony’s jaw tightened. “Don’t say that, Ian. You know she isn’t.” 

Ian stood up. “But you said yourself that you don’t know what happened that night. And let’s just face it, Anthony, _both_ of us woke up in that bed with her. It could’ve been either of us. And the dates match up perfectly.” 

Anthony shook his head. “No dude, that isn’t possible. Look, I doubt anything even happened that night.” 

Ian swallowed hard. “Anthony, I woke up with ass pain. And I don’t think it was from a girl.” 

Anthony glared at him before throwing the controller down. “Don’t. Even. Fucking. Talk. Like. That,” he said angrily through gritted teeth. 

Before Ian could reply, the doorbell rang again. Anthony gave him a smug grin before prancing over to the door. 

He threw it open, spitting, “now take your damn-“ but he stopped short. Opening it all the way, he revealed their normal pizza guy, Brock. 

Brock was a really tall, burly guy with dark hair and eyes. He was also always high from his constant Marijuana use. How he kept a job was beyond the Smosh boys. 

“Take my what?” Brock asked, eyes glassy. 

“N-never mind,” Anthony stuttered, reaching into his pocket for a tip. 

“Hey!” Brock exclaimed, “who’s that?!” He pointed to the little girl on their floor. 

Anthony shoved five bucks into his hands, snatched the pizza away from him, and then shut the door. 

Ian chuckled, giving Anthony a smug grin of his own. “Yeah Anthony, who _is_ that?” 

Anthony rolled his eyes, slamming the pizza boxes onto the table. “Just fucking eat.” 

Ian cleared his throat. “Uh-uh, Anthony. There’s a _child_ in the room.” 

Ignoring Ian, Anthony threw a cabinet door open and grabbed two plates, flinging them onto the table. Thankfully, they were plastic. 

Ian turned his attention to the blue-eyed girl on the floor. “I wonder if she’s yours or mine?” he asked, inspecting her. 

Anthony swung his head over to where Ian was hunched over. “Shut up, man. Don’t even entertain the idea!” 

The blue-eyed man paid no attention to Anthony’s statement. “Audrina’s your name, right?” he asked the child, “Audrina Iris. That’s kinda long, huh?” 

The little girl watched him intently, but didn’t smile. 

Ian went on, “you must be scared, right? I mean, your mommy just left you with two guys you don’t even know and barely left you with any of your stuff. I’m sorry, Audrina.” 

Anthony rolled his eyes again, chewing crossly on a cheesy slice of pepperoni pizza. But he didn’t turn his head away from Ian and Audrina. 

“Audrina Iris…hmm,” Ian said, rubbing his bearded chin. “That’s quite a name, very pretty, if I do say so myself. My name’s Ian. Ian Andrew Hecox. If you could talk, you could call me Ian.” He looked over at Anthony who had taken a break from chewing. “And that guy over there,” he pointed to Anthony, “is my best friend, Anthony. Daniel Anthony Padilla. Padilla like quesadilla. But like you know what that is so…if you could talk, you’d just call him Anthony.” 

Anthony was thankful that Ian wasn’t looking at him because he smiled. But just a tad bit. 

Ian kept talking to her. “Audrina Iris is quite the mouthful, huh? And so is Audrina. Why don’t we call you Audrey…or maybe Audie?” 

“Audrey.” 

Ian looked up, surprised to hear Anthony’s voice. “What?” 

“We…you should call her Audrey. Audie just makes it sound like you’re calling her odd. That isn’t cool,” Anthony said, staring at the floor. 

Ian smiled softly. “Audrey it is, then.” He looked down once more before kneeling down and putting his arms up. “You wanna come to me?” 

Audrina mirrored Ian’s actions and he smiled. “Okay, then.” He picked her up and her tiny hands gripped his shirt. 

At that moment, Anthony _knew_ he was fucked. 

“Are you not gonna eat?” Anthony asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

Ian shrugged. “Yeah…but what about,” he stopped to tickle Audrina, “Audrey?” 

Anthony frowned. “Can’t she eat pizza?”

“No!” Ian laughed, “she barely has any teeth! And besides, she can sit up by herself and that’s it. We’ll have to feed her.” 

Anthony raised an eyebrow. “You mean _you’ll_ have to feed her?” 

Ian sighed. “Look Anthony, we don’t know whether she’s mine or yours. So, right now, she’s _ours_. She’s _our_ responsibility and we’ll care for her _together_.” 

Anthony threw his half-eaten pizza slice onto his plate. “I can’t believe you’re doing this, man. She’s. Not. Our. Kid. Okay? Just because some bitch waltzes in and says that she is, doesn’t make her ours!” 

“Maybe,” Ian said softly, “but we _did_ both sleep with her fifteen months ago. And she says that Audrey’s six months old,” he began to play absentmindedly with the little girl’s braids. “So, it matches up. More importantly, she kinda looks like us.” 

Anthony snorted. “We can’t _both_ be the dad, idiot.” 

“No,” Ian replied, “but look, Anthony. She’s got pink cheeks and dimples like you and blue eyes like me and brown hair like both of us. And just look at how sad she is, Ant,” Ian said solemnly. “She hasn’t smiled since she got here. It’s obvious that Kara didn’t give two shits about her. In all honesty, Anthony, _we’re_ all she has. And that makes her ours.” 

Anthony swallowed hard, glaring at his best friend. “Well, I guess you’re gonna do it by yourself.” 

“Ant…,” Ian pleaded, gripping Audrina to his side. 

Without a reply, Anthony disappeared into his own bedroom, slamming the door as hard as he could. 

 


	4. Oops!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ian and Anthony go to Babies'R'Us.

“Are you coming, Anthony?” Ian yelled to Anthony, throwing Audrina’s diaper bag over his shoulder. 

Anthony fumbled out of his room, frowning. “Coming where?” 

Ian picked up Audrina and placed her on his hip. “To Babies’R’Us.” 

Anthony frowned. “Babies’Ru’Us? Fuck no.” 

Ian smiled slightly. “Look, it’s either you come with me or you stay here with Audrina. Your choice, man.” 

“Why don’t _I_ just stay here and _you_ take Audrina with you?” Anthony asked, folding his arms over his chest. 

“Be _cause_ ,” Ian explained, “I have a really long list and I can’t watch Audrina _and_ shop at the same time. If you come, you can put stuff into the buggy and I’ll watch her. If you stay here, you’ll have to watch her alone.” 

Anthony sighed. “And why should I agree with anything at all you say?” 

Ian grinned. “Because I’m your best friend and you _love_ me.” 

Anthony gritted his teeth, defeated. He sighed before sliding his black Converse onto his feet. “Okay fine, you douche. But it’s just to get you off of my back. I know you’ll persist until I agree.” 

“And you love me,” Ian chuckled. 

“Yeah,” Anthony replied, “whatever. I love you.” 

As Ian opened the door, his heart fluttered a little. Anthony had, after all, just said that he loved him. 

 _You’re taking this_ way _out of context_ , Ian thought to himself. _Just focus on the baby, idiot._

“Hey!” Anthony exclaimed, chasing after Ian. 

Ian stopped, turning around. “Huh?” 

Anthony shut the door. “What are we supposed to take her in?” 

“What do you mean?” Ian asked, frowning. 

“I _mean_ ,” Anthony said, “that we don’t have a carseat. Nor do our cars have four doors.” 

Ian sighed and looked down. To his utter surprise, there on the sidewalk sat a baby’s carseat. He looked up at Anthony, who was hiding a grin. 

“I guess Kara didn’t want to lug it into the house.” 

***

Ian lifted Audrina into the child seat of their shopping cart. He frowned slightly at how apathetic she still looked. He looked up at Anthony to see that was frowning, too, hands jammed in his pockets. 

 _Anthony will come around,_ Ian thought to himself, _I just really need to figure out what’s wrong with Audrina._

“What do we have to get?” Anthony grumbled, snapping Ian out of his thoughts. 

“A lot of stuff,” Ian replied, “so we’re probably gonna need two buggies.

Anthony sighed, but he turned around headed back toward the front of the store to get another one. 

Ian smiled to himself before he let his eyes trail back to the baby girl in front of him. “I’m sorry he hasn’t been very nice to you. He’s just confused…and scared. Pretty soon, he’ll come around, I promise. You’re gonna like living with us.” 

To his dismay, Audrina never smiled, she only watched him intently. 

 _What the hell does this mean?_ He asked himself. It looked like he needed to buy a parenting book. 

He scribbled _parenting book_ onto his über long list as Anthony returned with another shopping cart. 

“All right, fucker,” Anthony sighed, “what’s first on the list?” 

Ian gave Anthony a dirty look. “Don’t use the F word in front of Audrey.” 

Anthony rolled his eyes. “Stop being such a _daddy,_ Ian.” 

Ian looked down at his feet and muttered, “diapers. Lots of diapers.” 

The taller man strolled over with his buggy to where a huge supply of different diapers were. He picked up a box of Luvs and Ian shook his head. 

Anthony frowned. “Why?” 

“Be _cause_ ,” Ian replied, “Luvs are plastic-y. We want Huggies.” He pointed to the red packages. 

Sighing, Anthony grabbed a box and threw it into the cart. “How do you know so much about diapers, anyway?” 

Ian shrugged. “I have little cousins, dude. And we’re gonna need a lot more than that.” 

Surprisingly, Anthony grabbed an armload of diaper packages and dropped them into the cart with no complaint. 

Ian smiled, eyes drifting back to the list. “Food, clothes, toys, wipes, cream, a crib, a stroller, bows, books-“ 

“Hold on!” Anthony exclaimed, “can we afford all of this shit?” 

“Language!” Ian snapped, “and yes, we can. We have to, for Audrey’s sake.” 

Anthony opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by a woman who appeared to be in her late forties or perhaps early fifties. Her hair was frosted blond and in a stylish bob. She was clad in what appeared to be an expensive pink sweatsuit and clean white Nikes. She wore a _huge_ diamond ring and gold band on her left hand and had snow white sunglasses perched on her head; the epitome of a California housewife. 

“Excuse me,” she said, smiling at Ian, “I know this probably sounds strange, but you’re such a cute family!” 

Anthony’s head snapped toward her and he frowned, but Ian beamed immediately. Before Anthony could clear up the benighted woman’s delusions, Ian had exclaimed, “thank you!” 

“How long have you been together?” she asked, quizzically.

“We’re not-” Anthony went to say, but was interrupted by Ian’s quick exclaim. 

“About ten years! But we’ve known each other longer,” he smiled largely at Anthony who only glared back. 

The woman then turned her attention to Audrina, who had been watching intently. She grinned down at her and said, “she’s beautiful! How old is…What’s her name, dear?” 

“This is Audrina Iris Hecox-Padilla,” Ian replied. “And she’s six months.” He grinned, playing absentmindedly with one of her pigtails. 

She smiled, turning back to Ian. “She’s absolutely precious! Now, I stopped to ask you an important question, actually. My son is also gay and he and his partner want to have a child, too. What process did you two choose? He’s been debating between adoption and a surrogate.” 

Ian shot Anthony an amused glance. “Well, we opted for a surrogate. Adoption takes a long time. Although, I will say that there are millions of children that need homes. It’s whatever works for your son, ma’am.” 

She took one last look at Audrina before saying, “well, I must be going. But thank you so much for your help. My daughter’s son’s birthday is this week and I need to find him a gift. You have such a beautiful family.” 

“Thank you,” Ian replied, “have a nice day!” 

Once the crazy woman was out of earshot, Anthony attacked Ian. “What the _hell_ was that, Ian?” 

Ian chuckled. “She thought we were gay and it was funny so I played along.” 

Anthony glared at him. “Dude, _I_ have a girlfriend.” 

Ian shrugged. “I know. Chill out, man. It was just a joke. And besides, what else are people supposed to think? Roommates raising a kid together? It doesn’t add up, dude.” 

The taller man rolled his eyes. “Exactly. Everyone’s gonna assume we’re gay. And what’s that gonna do to Smosh?!” 

Ian sighed, tossing a package of pacifiers into the buggy. “Absolutely nothing. No one around here gives a crap about Smosh. And anyone who does knows us well enough to know that we aren’t gay. So please, chill out.” 

“All right,” Anthony breathed in defeat, “but don’t _ever_ say we’re a couple again, Ian. That was…wrong.” 

Admittedly, Ian felt a small pang of sadness at Anthony’s words, but he ignored them. Instead, he studied a packet of bottles. “Would being with me really be _that_ bad?” 

Anthony sighed. “That’s…that’s not what I meant, Ian, and you know it.” 

“Yeah,” Ian lied, “I know. Just…forget it. I won’t say anything else that makes us seem _gay_. Let’s just finish up here, okay?” 

Anthony could tell that he’d upset Ian, but like his best friend, he decided not to press it any further. “Okay.” 

Ian wouldn’t tell Anthony that he wished desperately for Anthony to want to be with him. Instead, he’d continue buying things for Audrina and pretending to be happy for Anthony and Alyssa. 

 


	5. Yuck!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ian and Anthony change a diaper.

“It’s…nice.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Ian. It’s shit and you know it.” 

“Anth-”

“It’s shit, Ian. Admit it.” Anthony tossed his screwdriver down as Ian entered the walkway of what had been, at one point, their editing room. Now, it was where Audrina was going to sleep. They’d moved all of their editing equipment both into the living room and Ian’s bedroom. Granted, it wasn’t a convenient arrangement, but in all honesty, none of this was. 

Whilst Ian had put away all of Audrina’s new things, Anthony had _attempted_ to assemble her crib. It didn’t look _bad,_ per se, but it didn’t exactly look like the crib on the box, either. 

“It’s fine,” Ian repeated, “Audrey will love it.” 

Ignoring Ian, Anthony pushed himself off of his knees and pushed past him, out of the doorway.   
“Where are you going?” Ian asked. 

“Out,” Anthony retorted. 

Ian glanced at his his back. “Out where?” 

Anthony spun around and glared. “Who the hell are you, my mother? Goddamn it, Ian, I’m just gonna go for a walk, okay?” 

Ian eyes drifted to the floor. “Oh, okay.” 

Anthony could tell that he’d hurt Ian’s feelings somehow, but that could be dealt with later. He walked out towards the door and grabbed his red jacket off of the hook beside the front door. Before he opened it, he looked back to the middle of the living room where Audrina sat in a bouncer, watching an old Pokémon VHS tape. She wasn’t smiling, but then again, she never did. However, she seemed to be really into it and her eyes weren’t as sorrowful as they had been. Granted, they were nowhere near shining, as a child of six months should be, but this actually made Anthony smile a little. 

He hung his coat back on the rack and went over to the little girl. He bent down beside her and grinned. “I guess Ian thought this would be the only appropriate cartoon we have for you to watch. Anyway, you’ll like it, it’s awesome.” Audrina watched him intently as he continued, “that little guy, that’s Pikachu. You’ll see him a lot.” 

He ignored the fact that no one really knew what sex certain Pokémon were. 

“And that’s Jigglypuff, Audrey. She looks really cute, but if you fall asleep while she’s singing, then you’ll definitely regret it. She’ll draw all over your face with a marker!” 

Audrina’s eyes shifted back to the TV and Anthony saw that she was intrigued by Psyduck. He laughed. “That’s Psyduck. He’s a duck with physic powers. And I honestly have nothing else to say about him.” 

Unbeknownst to Anthony, Ian had entered the living room minutes earlier and had witnessed the whole scene, with a big smile on his face. Maybe Anthony couldn’t love _him_ , but it was clear to Ian that Anthony _could_ love Audrina. And that was just as good, because Ian already loved her, too. 

Suddenly, Anthony’s nose caught a whiff of something terrible. He stood up and looked around, seeing Ian standing near the hallway. “When did you get in here?” 

Ian shrugged. “Just now. Why?” 

Anthony made a face. “Did you fart?” 

Ian shook his head, then noticed the repulsive odor in the air. “No…did you?” 

For a moment, the two men stood in confusion. That is, until everything clicked for them. They both looked to Audrina and understood exactly what the scent was. 

“I am _not_ changing a diaper,” Anthony said quickly. 

Ian sighed. “You _have_ to, Anthony. I can’t do it alone. At least come with me and hand me baby wipes.” 

Anthony’s disgusted expression returned. “No way, man.” 

“Please,” Ian begged, “for me, Anthony?” 

Anthony did his best to ignore the pleading in Ian’s eyes, but he couldn’t. Sighing, he replied, “I’m not touching any baby shit.”

Ian beamed. “Yes! Okay, let’s get her and take her to the nursery.” 

Anthony stepped away for the baby, not wanting to touch her whilst she stank, so Ian gladly waltzed over to her and lifted her from her bouncer. 

“It’s all right, Audrey. We’ll get you all cleaned up,” Ian cooed. 

Anthony followed Ian into the new nursery, rolling his eyes at how mom-like Ian sounded. 

“Okay,” Ian said, “we need to set a blanket out on the carpet first.” 

“Why?” Anthony asked, frowning. 

Ian grinned at him. “ _Because_ her skin is too sensitive to the carpet in here. I don’t think we’ve ever had it cleaned, dude. You have so much to learn, Anthony.” 

Anthony opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Ian had thrust a pink flannel baby blanket into his arms. 

“Set this out,” he instructed. 

He did so without complaint because in the long run, it wasn’t worth it. Ian was really into this whole ‘Daddy’ thing and Anthony was just going to have accept it. “Okay,” he replied, standing up. “What now?” 

Ian gingerly laid Audrina onto the blanket and sat down in front of her. “I need a pack of diapers, wipes, powder, _and_ diaper rash cream. It’s over on that shelf,” Ian pointed to it. 

Anthony sighed. “You sure know a lot about this.” He walked over to the shelf, loading up on what Ian had demanded. 

“I used to babysit my cousins, remember?” Ian retorted. 

Anthony shrugged, dropping the things beside Ian. “Yeah, whatever.” 

Ian looked up at Anthony. “Sit down. You might as well learn how to change a diaper, Anthony.” 

“Why?” Anthony grumbled. But he sat down. 

“You _do_ plan on having kids some day, don’t you?” Ian asked. 

Anthony shrugged. “I guess. But not like this.” 

Ian sighed. “Look Anthony, this wasn’t my choice or Audrina’s choice, either. And I’m trying really hard to be patient with you, but you’re being a dick and it’s not my fault _or_ Audrey’s fault.” 

Anthony tried to ignore the sad glint in Ian’s eyes, but he couldn’t. Sighing, he apologized. “I’m sorry, man. It’s just…aren’t you the least bit freaked out by this?” 

“Of course I am,” Ian replied, “but we’re all this baby has. She needs us and that’s just the way it is.” 

Anthony nodded. “I suppose that’s true.” 

Ian smiled softly at him before carefully removing Audrina’s baby jeans. “All right then. Now, prepare yourself. This is where we remove the diaper.” 

Anthony gritted his teeth as Ian tugged on the tabs of Audrina’s diapers. 

“Ugh!” Anthony groaned, squeezing his nose and turning away. “What the _hell_ is this kid eating?” 

Ian laughed. “Milk, maybe? Baby food?” 

Anthony made a face. “It’s gross and baby poop green and runny.” 

“Really now?” Ian asked, wiping Audrina clean, “now, always do it at least three times to make sure you get it all. If you don’t, she can get a rash.” 

“That what the cream’s for?” Anthony asked.

“Yep,” Ian replied, “I don’t know for sure that she has one, but I don’t know that she doesn’t, either. And considering who her mother was, there’s really no telling.” 

Once Audrina was clean, Ian showed Anthony how to apply the diaper rash cream. Seeing how thick it was, Anthony had no desire whatsoever to touch it. Ian tossed the dirty wipes into the diaper and shut it closed with the tabs so that it now resembled a ball. 

“It’ll help with the smell,” Ian pointed out.

Anthony nodded. “I hope so. But hey, is it weird that she hasn’t cried at all throughout this? Or even looked upset at all?” 

Ian sighed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. I’m gonna google it, I guess. We’ll probably have to get her set up with a pediatrician soon, too. Luckily, Kara _did_ leave Audrina’s papers in the diaper bag. I guess she wasn’t totally incompetent.” 

Anthony nodded, unsure of how to reply. Luckily for him, Ian continued with the diaper-changing process. 

“Next, you use the baby powder,” he held up the bottle. “It’s to keep it dryer and fresher,” he laughed. 

“It certainly smells better than anything else I’ve smelled today,” Anthony declared. 

Ian grinned. “Yeah, that it is.” He took the clean diaper and put it around Audrina’s hips before fastening it. “And _that_ is how you change a diaper, Anthony!” 

“Well, now I know, I guess.” His eyes drifted to where the baby lay and he noticed that she was still in a sweater. She’s probably hot,” he observed. 

“Oh,” Ian replied, “you’re probably right. Hold on, I’ll get her something else” He hopped to his feet and glided over to her closet. 

There was a loud ding and Anthony glanced up at Ian. “Want me to get it?” 

Ian nodded. “Yeah, can you? I’ll be there in a minute. I don’t know who it could be right now.” 

Anthony chuckled. “Probably the high pizza guy.” 

Ian laughed, turning around and producing a small black onesie that Anthony had surprisingly chosen.

Anthony jumped up and jogged to the front door. He opened it, quickly, surprised to see the two people standing at their door.

“Hey Anthony!” Mari exclaimed, “hope we’re not too early!” 

They had no idea. 

 


	6. This is Madness!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mari and Sohinki visit.

Anthony reluctantly opened the door, guiding two of his good friends into the house. 

“It’s cool,” he replied, “but I thought you guys were coming Saturday.” 

Sohinki shrugged. “We were bored so we switched to an earlier flight. We never get bored with you guys.” 

Anthony laughed. “That’s good to know.” 

Just then, Ian walked into the room, toting Audrina. “Anthony, you ought to see what Audrey just did. She-” he stopped when he saw Mari and Sohinki standing in their living room. “H-hey guys,” he stammered. 

Mari and Matt shared a glance and then both looked at Anthony before going back full circle to Ian and Audrina. 

“Who’s this, Ian?” Mari asked, narrowing her eyes at him. 

“It’s-” Ian started, but was interjected by Anthony.

“It’s a long story,” Anthony yelped, “you really don’t wanna know.” 

Matt smirked. “I think we do. Is this you guys’ love child?” 

Anthony scowled at him, but Ian glowed and began to giggle. 

“Hell no,” Anthony snapped, “we’re just watching her for a while. Her mom’s-”

“Anthony, don’t lie to friends,” Ian interjected, giddily. 

Anthony sent a glare Ian’s way as Mari and Sohinki stifled giggles. “Fine. You tell them, Ian. If you’re so damn against lying all of a sudden.” He flopped down on the sofa, grabbing his Wii remote. Within seconds, he was playing Twilight Princess again. 

“Well?” Sohinki asked, glancing from Anthony to Ian quickly. 

Ian nodded. “Guys, this is Audrina. She’s…well, Anthony’s right, we _are_ taking care of her right now. Her bitch-ass mom left her here alone with us because…,” he trailed off, looking nervously at Anthony.

Anthony stared directly at the television, obviously ignoring Ian. 

Ian sighed. “She _might_ be either my or Anthony’s kid.” 

Mari’s jaw dropped; Matt’s eyes widened. 

“You…she is?” Mari asked, biting her lip.

Ian shrugged. “Maybe. We’re not sure.” 

“You’re not sure?” Sohinki asked, “what does that mean?” 

“Well…,” Ian sighed, “the night Audrina was, you know, conceived, Anthony and I were really drunk and her mom was here and we don’t know exactly what happened.”

Ian was sure that Anthony would appreciate the fact that he purposely left out the portion of the story in which he and Anthony had participated in a threesome.

Mari nodded. “Well…all right then! I guess that makes me an aunt!” Ian raised an eyebrow as Mari pranced over to him and lifted Audrina out of her arms. 

“Hi Audrina!” she exclaimed. “I’m your Aunt Mari and you know what? You’re really pretty. I know it’s gonna be weird having these goobers as your dads so whenever you need something, you can just call me. Don’t worry.” 

Over on the couch, Anthony was rolling his eyes. He couldn’t believe that Ian and now Mari, were so obsessed with the idea of being chummy with this kid. They didn’t even know her and already behaved as if she were a princess. Hopefully, Sohinki wouldn’t react the same way. 

“Is there a reason why she hasn’t smiled?” Mari asked, biting her lip. 

It was true. While she had watched Mari with complete interest and attentiveness, her tiny mouth stayed in a line and her eyes stayed dull. 

“Probably because you’re boring her,” Sohinki stated, walking up to them. He placed his fingertips on Audrina’s stomach and began to tickle her. “Coochie coochie coo!” he chuckled at his own actions. 

Audrina only watched him before looking up at Mari.

“Huh…,” Sohinki said, looking up at Ian, “Something wrong with her?” 

Ian shrugged. ‘We don’t know. We haven’t seen her smile since she got here. Not even Pokémon made her laugh. And it was the Jigglypuff episode!” 

Mari suddenly got quiet, handing Audrina back to Ian. 

Matt frowned, looking over at her with concern. “Something wrong, babe?” he asked. 

Mari sighed, sitting down on the other sofa. “It’s…well, it’s probably nothing, but-”

“But what?” Ian asked, plopping down beside Anthony. 

Sohinki sat down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully at him. 

Even Anthony paused his game to look at Mari. 

“It’s…I’ve read a few articles about certain types of kids and Audrina’s showing the biggest symptom. And it’s really early, so it’s probably nothing, but-”

“What is it, Mari?” Anthony snapped, growing impatient with her cryptic language. 

“She’s showing the biggest sign of neglect at an early age. Not smiling. But you guys have got to realize that this is really severe neglect because neglected kids are usually overly friendly.” 

Ian swallowed hard. “So…what are you saying?” 

“Audrina may never smile. Even worse, she may not grow mentally. Neglected children often die from lack of physical touch,” Mari replied grimly. 

Ian glanced over at Anthony, whose eyes were surprisingly sad. He gave Audrina a good squeeze as Mari continued.

“But she _is_ still young, so she may recover…that is, if she has been neglected. Do you guys know much about her birth mother?” she asked. 

“No,” Ian replied, “but I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if she did neglect Audrey.”

Mari nodded. “She just needs a lot of love, guys. If she gets that, she’ll probably be okay. And not a lot of negativity.” 

As Mari said this, Ian glanced over at Anthony.

Anthony sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You don’t have to make me feel like a dick, Ian. I’ll try to be a better father figure or whatever.” As if to prove his point, he reached over and took Audrina from his arms and placed her in his own. 

She didn’t smile at him, but he did at her. “I’m sorry I haven’t been the nicest lately, Audrey. I promise I’ll be a good person from here on out. I’ll let you get away with more than Ian will.”

Ian smiled to himself, beyond happy that his suspicions about Anthony were correct. Now, he could hope that he, Anthony, and Audrina could be a family and not feel guilty about it. Maybe they couldn’t be the traditional family and maybe Anthony couldn’t love him, but there was Audrina, who would be _their_ daughter. And they’d always have that closeness. This meant a lot to Ian. 

“I’m starving,” Sohinki exclaimed, breaking the silence. 

Mari, Ian, and Anthony fell into a comfortable laughter, easing the obvious tension in the room.

“Well then, let’s go to Chipotle!” Anthony said, jumping to his feet. 

Ian and Mari followed suit.

“Let me just get Audrina’s stroller and we’ll be all set,” Ian stated, darting to the closet. 

After Ian had successfully gotten Audrina’s stroller, the five of them strolled out to downtown Sacramento. 

 


	7. It's a Problem!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ian reflects and Anthony's girlfriend visits. Mari is nosy, but she might just know what's going on.

“There’s a problem with this,” Sohinki announced, poking his head up from the air mattress that he’d been attempting to blow up — for the past hour or so. 

“Clearly,” Anthony observed, dropping to his knees beside Sohinki, “you’ve been working on that thing for a thousand years.”

With a disgusted expression on his face, Sohinki tossed the mattress down onto the floor. “There’s a fucking hole in it.” He stood up and pressed his hand to his forehead in exasperation. 

Mari sighed, wrapping her arms around him. “Matt, it’ll be okay. We’ll just get a hotel or something.” 

Ian walked into the room, having just put Audrina in her crib and to sleep. As it would turn out, she was exhausted and shut her eyes almost immediately after Ian had settled her into her crib. “What’s this I hear about a hotel?” 

“Nothing,” Anthony said quickly, “Mari and Sohinki are just being dumb because their mattress has a hole in it. 

Ian chuckled. “Guys, it’s fine. We have _two_ double beds, plenty of room.” 

“Really?” Sohinki asked, “where will you guys sleep?” 

Ian was ready to volunteer to sleep in Anthony’s bed when his best friend interjected: “I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

Needless to say, Ian was pretty disappointed. 

Mari frowned. “Are you sure, Anth? Because we can totally-”

“No,” Anthony replied, firmly. “You guys always give us a place to stay when we need it. It’s the least we can do to return the favor. Right, Ian?” he asked, glancing at Ian. 

Ian nodded. “Of course.” 

“I’ll be totally fine,” Anthony replied, “besides, we’ll be going to LA soon, anyway.” 

Ian had forgotten about that. When Mari and Sohinki flew back to LA in a few days, they’d be going back with them to film for their Smosh Games channel. Which brought him to his next thought: what about Audrina? 

Before he could ask Anthony about her, Anthony said that he needed a shower. Solemnly, Ian watched him leave the room and sighed. He let his attention float back to his friends, who stood next to him.  
Sohinki yawned and stretched his arms. “I think I’m about ready to go to bed, guys. Flying always makes me tired. Coming, Mari?” 

She nodded. “Just give me a minute, okay?” 

Yawning again, Sohinki made his way toward Anthony’s room. When he was out of earshot, Mari sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to her. Confused, Ian sat down beside her, shooting her a questioning look. 

She smiled. “Don’t act like you don’t know what this is about, Ian. Look, I know the _real_ reason you took Audrina in.” 

He frowned. “Dude… _we_ took her in because she had nowhere else to go and no one else to care for her. It was the _right_ thing to do.” 

“Was it?” she asked, “I get it, she _might_ be one of your kids. The key word is _might._ Is it maybe possible that you just want a way to get closer to Anthony?” She smiled softly. 

Ian looked away quickly, blushing furiously. He was angry at Mari for even bringing this horribly taboo subject up. He was even more angry at her for being right about it. 

“Mari, Anthony’s my best friend _and_ my roommate. It can’t get much closer than that, can it?” He didn’t look at her as he said this. 

She shrugged. “You tell me, Ian. I don’t know how you feel. Only _you_ do. And either way, it’s great, what you’re doing for Audrina. But you shouldn’t try to force Anthony into it if he doesn’t want to.”  

Ian knew there was a lot of truth to Mari’s words, but he also knew that he did honestly love Audrina, regardless of how he felt about Anthony. 

“Look, Audrina is gonna be staying with us for a while. When and _if_ her mom comes back, is still up for debate, so I’m gonna be there for her, no matter what Anthony does. And hell…,” he lowered his voice, “maybe I _do_ have feelings for Anthony, but let’s face it, Mari, he’s hung up on Alyssa and well, girls in general. He’d never want me and honestly, I shouldn’t want him, either. So, let’s just forget about it, okay?” 

Mari nodded. “I understand, Ian. But you shouldn’t doubt Anthony so much.” 

“Huh?!” Ian demanded. 

She gave him a small smirk and left the room. 

Ian was floored and his heart began to ram in his chest. 

_Could Mari mean…?_ he asked himself, before shaking his head. _No way. No way_ , he repeated to himself. 

“What are you talking to yourself about?” 

Anthony’s masculine voice snapped Ian out of his little trance and he looked up at him. Fresh out of the shower, Anthony’s hair was still wet and dripping down his face, neck, and chest. He was now clad in only black gym shorts and Ian could see his muscles pretty well. 

“N-nothing,” he stammered, tearing his eyes away from Anthony’s abdomen. 

Anthony chuckled. “What’s the matter, Ian? Are you _mesmerized_ by my rock hard abs?” 

_Yes_ , Ian thought to himself. 

“No,” Ian forced a laugh, “I’m anything but. What a boner kill.” 

Anthony pouted. “That’s rude, douche bag. Anyway, you about to go to bed?” 

Ian nodded, hopping off of the couch. “Sorry, forgot this was your bed for the night.” 

“It’s cool,” Anthony replied, “you don’t have to go just yet, if you don’t want to.” 

“Okay,” Ian replied, “I just need to ask you something before I do. It won’t take long.” 

Anthony propped his feet up on the coffee table. “What is it?” 

“We’re supposed to go to LA in a few days,” he started. 

“Yeah,” Anthony agreed, “so what?” 

Ian sighed. “Well, what are we supposed to do about Audrina?” 

Anthony shrugged. “Well, I just assumed we’d bring her with us, wouldn’t we?” 

Ian was stunned. “R-really? You’ve thought about it?” 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Anthony asked him. “She’s kinda gonna be a constant now and I might as well get used to it, like you said.I mean, if need be, Flitz or Wes can watch her during Game Bang and Mari or one of the guys can watch her during Game Time. No big deal.”

“O-oh,” Ian replied, “well…that’s fantastic, Ant. I’m glad you’re thinking about it.” 

Anthony grinned. “Yeah, whatever. So, is that it?” 

Ian nodded. “Y-yeah, guess so.” 

“All right then,” Anthony replied, yawning. “If you don’t mind, I’m gonna go to sleep.” 

“Sure,” Ian stuttered. “Night, man.” 

“Night,” Anthony repeated, lying head his onto the pillow he’d propped onto the sofa’s arm. 

Ian turned off the light and headed toward his bedroom thinking of only one thing. 

_Progress_. 

*

“Ian!” 

The sound of his name being called brought Ian out of a deep sleep later that night. He was surprised, but still, pleased to see Anthony hovered above him. His hair was messy and out of place and his eyes were, from what Ian could tell in the darkness, still woozy with sleep. 

“Yeah?” Ian asked, yawning, “what the hell, man? It’s like three am.” 

“I know and I’m sorry,” Anthony apologized, “but look, can I sleep here?” 

Even through his haze, caused by a lack of sleep, Ian was excited to hear that Anthony wanted to sleep in his bed. He scooted over and asked, “why?” 

Anthony hesitated, putting one of his knees on the bed and leaving the other off. “Well, I…I meant can I sleep here and you sleep on the couch?” 

Ian’s heart fell. “Oh…why?” He tried not to act _too_ disappointed. 

“Alyssa’s trip ended a little early,” Anthony explained, “and she wanted to come _visit_ me. So…like, is it okay if we take your bed?” 

Ian wanted to scream. _No, it’s not fucking okay for you to take_ my _bed and screw some chick in it. The only person you’re allowed to sleep with in_ my _bed is me!_

But then he looked up at Anthony’s pleading eyes and he knew he couldn’t say what he wanted to. 

“You better change the fucking sheets,” Ian snarled, throwing the sheets and blankets off and swinging his legs off of the bed. 

“We’re not gonna fuck,” Anthony said innocently. 

“Yeah right,” Ian snorted, jumping off of the bed. “Regardless, you’re changing the sheets. And you owe me. My God, do you owe me.” 

Anthony grinned at him. “You got it, man. I swear. Dude, thanks so much, Ian. I _really_ appreciate this.” 

“Me too!” Ian heard from the doorway. 

Sure enough, there stood Anthony’s latest girlfriend, Alyssa. She was clad in a blue sweatsuit and her shoulder-length brown hair was straightened perfectly. She surely didn’t look like she’d just gotten back from a long flight. 

But who was he to care? 

Ian pushed past her and headed toward the living room. He stopped, however, when he passed the doorway of their old editing room. He remembered Audrina was in there and he decided he wanted to check on her. 

To his surprise, the little girl was wide awake, clutching a purple rabbit. When she noticed Ian, she widened her eyes and stared at him, but didn’t smile. 

“What are you doing awake, Audrey?” he asked, gripping the bars on the white crib. 

Audrina only gazed back at him. 

Ian softened. “I guess you could ask me the same question, huh? Well, I don’t really feel too much like smiling either, to be completely honest. You’re just about the only thing I’ve got to smile about right now.” 

She blinked, never cracking a smile. 

“I won’t harass you about being apathetic tonight, Audrey, because I know that’s probably gotten annoying. After all, it’s only your first here. You should be chilled out, right?” 

Audrina’s mouth remained in a thin line, neither smiling nor frowning. 

Ian’s eyes drifted to the floor and he blinked, trying to stop a flood of tears that threatened to start pouring down his cheeks. He lowered his voice. “It kinda sucks to know that the person you love is probably with someone else in your own bed. You don’t know exactly what that means right now, so let’s just say I’m sad. I’m sad about Anthony.” 

Ian let his hand travel down to Audrina’s face where a few stray strands of hair blocked her eyes and he absentmindedly swatted them away. “I know your mom hasn’t treated you well, but I hope you’re never sad, Audrina. Not this sad, at least.” 

Before he knew what was happening, Audrina had reached her tiny had out and grabbed his finger. She still wasn’t smiling, but she had outrightly reached for him — yet again — and this brought Ian great joy. 

But it still didn’t change the fact that Anthony was with someone else. 

Ian smiled and then chuckled. “Thanks, Audrey. I really needed that, huh? You know, I bet you’re _way_ smarter than any regular old baby. And I’m gonna teach you so much. Nineties kids stuff, ‘cause you know that the stuff from this generation is all crap. You’ll be a great kid, I just know it. And honestly, I can’t wait. I know it’s just your first night with us, but I know you’ll be happy here. Believe me.” 

As Ian was talking, Audrina’s eyes began to droop further and further down and eventually her grip on his finger subsided all of the way. As soon as Ian knew she was asleep, he bent down and kissed her forehead. “Night, Audrey.” 

He switched the light off and exited Audrina’s room to go to the living room sofa. He flopped onto it, face down and recognized Anthony’s scent in the pillow. 

_Fantastic_ , he thought to himself. _Just when I thought I wasn’t gonna cry._

There was a baby blue, flannel blanket resting on the couch and Ian grabbed it, wrapping it around himself to warm himself. Anthony was on that, too. 

There was even a certain warmth to the sofa where Anthony had previously lay. It was hard to be in love with someone that didn’t feel the same, sure. But it was even harder when they were _everywhere_. 

Ian could no longer stop the tears and he buried his face in Anthony’s pillow to muffle his sobs. 

Needless to say, Ian didn’t get much sleep that night.


	8. It's a Long Story!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian, Anthony, Sohinki, Mari, and Audrina meet up with Wes, Flitz, Joven, and Lasercorn. It's a filler tbh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a filler and quite frankly, it isn’t very interesting. However, I PROMISE the next one will be. In fact, you’ll be seeing some non Smosh-related Youtubers! Now, I have a question. Because this story has Ianthony, Marhinki, and Lasershire, would you guys wanna see Wes/Flitz? It’s something I’m warming up to and would like to write, but only if you guys want it. So just let me know! :D

Ian was still angry at Anthony days later when they, along with Sohinki, Mari, and Audrina, boarded an airplane and headed to LA. Anthony hadn’t seemed to have noticed. It was insane, really. How Ian could be so depressed and miserable while Anthony could be so cheerful and happy-go-lucky. It wasn’t fair. What also wasn’t fair was that Anthony not only slept with Alyssa in _his_ bed, but that he’d also invited her to go to LA with them. Luckily for Ian, however, Alyssa had to go to back to work that day. 

Anthony was asleep in the seat next to him; Audrina was asleep in his arms. Mari and Sohinki were in the aisle next to them, watching what looked to be Game of Thrones on Sohinki’s iPad. Ian was the only one remotely aware of what was going on in the plane, which wasn’t much of anything at all. This was a short flight and there weren’t very many people on it. 

 _Can’t believe Anthony’s that damn selfish_ , Ian thought to himself. _Kicking_ me _out of_ my _bed so that he can get lucky. It’s despicable._

 _You let him do it_ , a voice in his head went off. 

Ian shook his head. Now was not the time for him to argue with himself. 

Sighing, he took out his phone and earbud headphones and put them in, turning on his music. He shut his eyes, but he did not sleep. 

*

Joven and Lasercorn met the five of them at the airport, along with Wes and Flitz. Mari and Sohinki were holding hands and Ian had plopped Audrina in her stroller, Anthony walking closely beside it. 

“Hey, guys!” Joven announced, walking toward them. He stopped short when his eyes drifted to the baby girl in the stroller. With that, Lasercorn slammed right into his back. 

“Ouch! Damn it, Joven. What the hell is wrong with you?” As he rubbed his head, he caught sight of what Joven was staring at. 

Wes and Flitz did, too. “Guys…who’s this?” Flitz asked, lowering his glasses onto his nose. 

“Yeah,” Wes joked, “when did you guys have enough time to get married and have a kid?” 

Anthony cleared his throat nervously, elbowing Ian. Ian shot a glare in his direction, annoyed that he would — yet again — have to explain their situation. 

“It’s…it’s a long story,” Ian stammered, “can we just go get lunch and discuss it there?” 

Lasercorn nodded. “Yeah, but we’re getting Thai food. _And_ you’re telling us what’s going on directly when we get there.” 

“Thai food!” Sohinki exclaimed, “I’m down.” 

The group began walking toward the airport’s exit as Sohinki began to chatter aimlessly about a DOTA. Despite the moans from everyone, telling him to shut up — even from Mari — he never once shut his mouth. 

*

The Thai place wasn’t excruciatingly busy, thankfully. This was probably due to the fact that it was 2 pm on a Wednesday, but Smosh Games had given the group a fairly easy schedule. 

As everyone else followed the greeter to their table, Ian asked for a highchair for Audrina. It wasn’t something he was used to, not yet, at least, but he wasn’t embarrassed. One couldn’t say the same thing for Anthony, who had pointed his eyes down to the floor, purposefully ignoring Ian, Audrina, and the worker, much to Ian’s annoyance. 

Once the highchair was situated, Ian plunked Audrina down with a sippy cup of orange juice and took a seat beside Anthony. Anthony was seated beside Sohinki, with Mari on Sohinki’s other side. Joven, Lasercorn, Flitz, and Wes all sat opposite of them. 

The waitress waltzed up to the table and took their drink orders before heading back to the kitchen. 

“So…,” Joven trailed off, looking at Ian. “Who _is_ this?” 

“Yeah Ian,” Anthony teased, “who _is_ this?” 

Ian rolled his eyes at Anthony. “Guys, this is…this is Audrina. She’s kind of, sort of…our kid.” 

“I was right!” Wes exclaimed, punching Lasercorn’s arm. “I _told_ you they were-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Anthony interjected. “N-no! She’s not out kid, Ian! Goddamnit!” 

Everyone but Mari and Sohinki stared, puzzled, at Ian and Anthony. 

“Then who is she?” Flitz asked quietly. 

Ian bit his lip, fighting back the urge to punch Anthony in the face. _How fucking unnecessary_. “A few, well, I guess fifteen months ago, Anthony and I went to a dumbass club in Sacramento and when we woke up, there was a girl at our house. She left, but she came back this month and claimed that Audrina is either my or Anthony’s kid. And she just kinda…left.” 

“So now you’re stuck raising her?” Joven asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Basically,” Ian nodded, “but she’s only six months old and she hasn’t cried or whined in the weeks we’ve had her. She’s not a bad kid.” 

“She’s cute,” Joven offered, glancing over at her. He reached over, ticking her stomach. Audrina didn’t move. Instead, she looked at Joven quizzically.

Flitz frowned. “Something wrong with her?” 

Ian shrugged. “She hasn’t cried _or_ laughed since she came to live with us. We’re not sure what’s wrong with her.” 

They stopped talking when the waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders. 

“Huh,” Lasercorn said, “that’s weird.” 

Ian nodded sadly. “Mari’s worried that she has neglected baby syndrome.” 

The table fell silent. 

Ian sighed, regretting his words. “But the good news is that she’s still little. She’s probably gonna be okay, guys.” 

“Well, that’s good!” Wes exclaimed. “In that case, you and Anthony are daddies!” 

Anthony grumbled, but didn’t say anything. For this, Ian was thankful. He was really sick of Anthony’s snide comments. 

Once their food arrived and idle conversation arose, Mari began whispering to Ian and Anthony. 

“I know someone that could really help you guys out,” she told them silently, chewing on some noodles. 

“Really now?” Ian asked, scooping some apple food out of its jar and into Audrina’s eager mouth. She may not have laughed or cried, but it was clear to Ian that she loved to eat by the way she always gobbled down her food. 

She nodded. “He runs a support group for…,” she trailed off, searching for a word. “Young people with kids.” 

Anthony rolled his eyes. “It’s not a couple thing, is it?” 

She shook her head. “No, it’s for Youtubers. You might even see somebody you know there.” 

Anthony sighed. “Exactly what I need.” 

Ian elbowed him in the side. “Shut up, man. It…it might be good for us. You’ve needed help coping and I can’t seem to help you very well, now can I?” 

“Fine,” Anthony retorted, sucking in a breath. “Whatever, man.” He turned to Mari. “When and what time?” 

She grinned. “Well, they’re meeting tomorrow at four. We should be done filming by then.” 

Ian nodded. “Who will watch Audrina, though?” 

“You’ll bring her,” Mari smiled. “That’s the beauty of it! It’s not just for the adults. The kids get to meet and play, too. They also have snacks and drinks.” 

“All right,” Ian said, “it’s settled. We’ll go.” 

“Great!” Mari said, a bit too enthusiastically, “I’ll let them know you’re coming.” 

Anthony dug back into his food, ignoring his friends. Ian went on, feeding Audrina. Mari smiled to herself as Sohinki chatted with the other four guys. Wes and Flitz were speaking normally, whilst eating their food. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Joven’s fingers reached under the table, searching secretively for Lasercorn’s. Once he found them, he held them tightly, hiding a small smile to himself. 

Ian could’ve sworn that he’d noticed a quick change in Lasercorn’s demeanor, but he decided to ignore it. He had other things to worry about. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is absolutely the worst chapter I’ve ever written. God, I wish fillers weren’t necessary! I promise, promise, promise the next one will be better. You guys totally deserve better, I’m so sorry. Anyway, thanks for reading! C:


	9. We're Not Gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Anthony go to a club meeting.

The meeting was at a posh neighborhood in a suburb right outside of LA. The house at the address Mari had given them was large. Ian would have assumed that it was two or three stories and there were expensive-looking cars sitting in the garage, the driveway, the curb, and even a few brave cars were perched in the grass. 

“Looks packed,” Anthony scowled, slamming the driver side door. 

Ian didn’t reply, shutting his door and opening the backseat, pulling Audrina out of her car set and tossing her diaper bag over his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “Mari called ahead and told them that we’d be new.” 

Anthony shook his head. “They’re all gonna stare at us and ask questions and the whole damn Youtube community will be in an uproar and-”

Ian rolled his eyes. “Can you please just shut up and ring the doorbell?” 

Anthony’s scowl grew, but he stepped up and pressed the small button. The two of them could hear it emanate through the walls and they waited for someone to answer. Audrina stuck her thumb in her mouth and Ian absentmindedly pulled it out, as he’d read earlier that thumb-sucking could cause buck teeth. Anthony’s frown softened. 

Suddenly, the front door was flung open and a man with mint-colored hair and thick, black-framed glasses called out, “well, hello!” 

Anthony was surprised to see that it was none other than Tyler Oakley. 

“Ty-Tyler?” he asked, “I didn’t know you were the host!” 

Tyler laughed. “Yes, Anthony. We’ve been expecting the two of you.” He ushered them in and stopped Ian when he noticed Audrina. He reached out and tickled her arm. “Who is this cutie?” 

Audrina didn’t react at all to Tyler tickling her. She only watched. 

Ian sighed. “This is Audrina. I’m sorry, Tyler. She’s-”

“Not to worry,” Tyler replied, “I understand. Bring her in. She can play with Zoe.” 

Ian and Anthony followed Tyler in and noticed the wide array of Youtubers sitting on his living room. Will Shepherd and RJ Aguairio, Connor Franta and Ricky Dillon, Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying, Hannah Hart and Grace Helbig, Matt Lush and Nick Laws, and Shane Dawson and Joey Graceffa. To the left of them was a cluster of toddlers playing with different sets of toys. Just about everyone in the room was staring at them. 

“Um…,” Anthony trailed off, looking around.

Ian gripped Audrina a little bit tighter, nervousness finally settling in. 

Just then, Troye Sivan popped into the room and smiled at the two of them. “It’s okay, guys. You can set your daughter down with the other kids and join us. This is a safe place, trust me.” Troye gave Ian a reassuring smile. 

Ian nodded, walking over to the other children and placing Audrina down on the floor reluctantly. 

She looked at him, confused, but soon turned her attention to a purple rabbit that sat near her. 

“I’m going to go talk to these people for a while, Audrey,” he whispered, “but don’t worry, Anthony and I are right here and if you need us, we’ll be there. I bet these other kids are pretty cool, though.” He kissed her head and then straightened up, walking back to the circle, taking his seat beside Anthony

“Hello, everyone!” Tyler said, clapping his hands together, “I call this meeting of the GPY to order! And I am just so delighted that we’ve been joined today by two of the most well-known Youtubers, well ever: Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla!” 

Ian looked around nervously. Everyone was smiling at him, but he still felt a bit uneasy. He glanced over at Anthony, who wore his usual scowl. He looked back at over Troye who smiled and nodded shyly. Ian knew he could trust him and he beamed at Tyler. “Thanks for having us guys! We actually didn’t even know about this thing until Mari told us about it, but we’re glad that you’re so welcoming.” He nudged Anthony. “Right, Ant?” 

Anthony nodded. “Y-yeah, thanks everybody. Who knew so many Youtubers would have kids?” 

“ _And_ be gay,” Matt laughed. 

RJ shook his head. “Hey guys, remember that _some_ of us are bisexual!” 

“That’s right,” Grace pointed out. 

Ian bit his lip. Anthony would definitely _not_ be happy about this. 

“I’m gonna kill Mari,” Anthony said through gritted teeth. 

Ian shushed him. “She probably didn’t know, man. Just leave it.” 

“But we’re not gay,” he spat.

Ian sighed. “So what? It’s gonna be okay. Look, it’s not like anyone’s gonna say we are. And if they do, we can just clear it up, okay?” 

Anthony shook his head. “We’ll discuss this later.” 

“All right,” Tyler said, bringing order back, “we all know who _you two_ are, but who is that adorable little girl you brought in?” 

Ian smiled. “That’s our little girl, Audrina. Audrina Iris Hecox-Padilla. Audrey for short. We…we adopted her,” he lied, deciding to change the story from the one he’d previously told the woman at Babies’R’Us. 

“That’s fantastic!” Tyler replied, “Troye and I got a surrogate for Zoe..in fact, we named her after the surrogate!” He smiled. “Of course, it was the one and only Zoella. Now, she and Alfie are expecting, too. It’s as if the Youtube community all decided to go domestic one day.” 

“And gay,” Shane interjected. 

Everyone laughed but Anthony. 

One by one, each of the Youtube couples went around and talked briefly about their children. Tyler and Troye’s Zoe Mellet-Oakley was the oldest and Connor and Ricky’s Trevor Dillion-Franta was the youngest. Audrina was right in the middle. 

Ian glanced over many times at Audrina many times to see how she was faring. Several of the children approached her, smiling, offering her a toy, but she simply did as she always did. She looked at them, mystified, and went back to her purple rabbit. They didn’t act too fazed by Audrina’s actions though, making Ian breathe deeply in relief. 

“Since you’re new here, we’ll spend a little extra time talking about you guys and your parenting styles and if you have any questions,” Troye instructed. 

Tyler nodded. “Troye and I started this club because we wanted Youtube parents — that just happened to be part of the LGBT community — to have options, to have someone to talk to when they’re at their wit’s end, you know?”

Ian nodded. “It’s a really cool idea. I guess — well, the biggest question I have is…how do you make your kid laugh? And what do you do when they _never_ cry?” 

“That should be a blessing!” Mitch laughed. 

The rest of the group joined him in laughter and Ian tried to laugh, too. But he was still feeling a bit uneasy. He looked over to see that, thankfully, Anthony was fake-laughing, too. He was nervous as to how Anthony would treat him later. 

 _I can always blame Mari_ , he thought to himself. 

Satisfied with this thought, he continued with his question. “I mean it, though. She hasn’t cried, laughed, _or_ smiled since we got her. She doesn’t frown, either. She’s just like…apathetic. Our friend Mari says that she shows signs of neglect. If that’s true, what do we do to help her?” 

The room grew silent as everyone drank in how serious Ian’s words truly were. 

“Um…,” Ricky trailed off, unsure of how to respond.

“Mari sounds right,” Hannah interjected, “I’ve read about this before.” 

“You have?” Connor asked, surprised. 

She chuckled. “You guys shouldn’t look shocked. I know what a book is. Hell, I wrote one!” 

Just about everyone chuckled as she turned her attention back to Ian. “It’s serious, sure,” she said, “but Ian, Anthony, just as long as you take special care to give her everything she needs and she’ll need special attention all of the time. This might make her clingy or give her separation anxiety in the future, but what’s important is that she develops an emotional connection to someone, something she’s clearly lacking.” 

“She’s definitely attached to you, Ian,” Anthony murmured, smiling softly at him. 

Ian blushed, smiling and looking down. “Yeah, I guess so.” 

Tyler smiled at the two of them before turning to Anthony. “Anthony, do you have any questions you’d like to ask the group?” 

Anthony fidgeted for a second, hesitating. 

Ian nudged him. “It’s okay if you don’t.” He lowered his voice, “I know you’re not as thrilled about being a parent as I am.” 

Anthony shook his head. “What do you do if you’re….well, you’re terrified that you’ll screw your kid up,” he asked quietly. 

Just as when Ian had asked his question, the room was completely quiet. Ian’s blue eyes looked up to lock with Anthony’s, which were gaping at him. It was clear to Ian that Anthony was absolutely petrified. 

It was totally clear to Ian now. It wasn’t that Anthony didn’t want Audrina or that he hated the idea of being parents with Ian, it was just that he was so afraid of making fatal mistakes in Audrina’s life that he didn’t want to try. Ian felt a rush of guilt shoot through him as he pondered this. Finally, he smiled at Anthony wanly. “It’s okay,” he whispered, reaching out to take Anthony’s hand in his own. And while he fully expected Anthony to let go, he did not. He squeezed Ian’s hand and laced his fingers through Ian's. 

Needless to say, Ian’s heart began to pound so hard that he fully believed that it would pop out of his ribcage. 

“I understand how you feel, Anthony,” Nick responded, clearing his throat. “When Matt and I adopted Haley, he was afraid. Me, on the other hand, I was horrified. As most of you know, Matt was my first serious relationship and even though I knew I loved him and he was the only one for me, you know, a kid is something totally different. When you decide to have a child with someone, you tie your life to theirs for…well, ever. There’s a crap ton to consider and you’re scared out of your mind about whether or not every damn decision you make will be the right or wrong one. Simply put, it’s scary.” 

Anthony nodded. “E-exactly.” 

Will smiled. “That’s when you have to learn to really trust in yourself and your partner,” he nudged RJ, who put his arm around him. “And let’s face it, every parent screws up a little. Trust your judgement and go with your gut. As long as you’re doing what _you_ think is right, you should be fine.” 

RJ kissed the side of Will’s head. “So, Anthony, do your best and when you’re stuck, ask Ian. Really talk to him and hug he and Audrina as tightly as you can. That’ll help, too.” 

“As cheesy as it sounds,” Joey chuckled, “you should ground everything on love. Love for your child, love for your partner, and love for your family. Everything else will follow.” 

Anthony grinned. “Th-thanks, guys. I actually feel a lot better.” He squeezed Ian’s hand. 

Ian blushed again, looking up at Anthony. He could see the evident relief in his eyes and this made Ian feel better, as well. “Yeah,” he whispered, “thanks.” 

Tyler clapped his hands together. “That was great, everyone. Now, let’s move onto our next order of business: cloth or disposable?!”


	10. I Wasn't Expecting That!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian, Anthony, and Audrina arrive home. Things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Anthony’s a vegan in real life, but for all intents and purposes, he will not be in this story. And just a reminder, this story is slash, which means that Ian and Anthony will eventually be together and will kiss, hug, and even quite possibly have sexual contact. If you have any problem with that at all, this is NOT the story for you. Thanks! :)

Ian was surprised that Anthony wasn’t angry about the meeting. After all, he seemed to be royally pissed whenever anyone at all assumed — or even joked — about the two of them homosexual. But if he was angry about it, he never said anything about it. Instead, Anthony smiled more and held Audrina and talked to her. Ian could hardly believe it.

“You know,” Anthony had said on the plane ride home, “this may not be so bad, after all. I mean, I think I can do this. We can do this, Ian.”  
Ian was too stunned to respond.

“Seriously,” Anthony continued, “I actually feel so much better about this. The meeting helped so much — well, besides them thinking we were gay and all. But that’s okay. They won’t say anything. And it’s like you said, Audrey has no one at all. We can be there for her, Ian. And hell, maybe she can carry on Smosh once we’re too fucking old to be funny.”

Ian’s smile grew bigger and bigger with each word. “I’m so glad you feel that way about it, Anthony. She needs us…badly.”

Anthony glanced down at the sleeping baby in Ian’s arms. “She’s a good kid. She just needs someone to love her. So why not us?”

But that was only the beginning of Anthony’s change of heart.

Once the three of them arrived home to the Smosh house, Ian went to put Audrina down for a nap. She’d fallen in and out of sleep on the plane and he knew that she had to be exhausted. Once she was asleep, he’d left her nursery and was met with the strong smell of tomato sauce and meat sizzling in their kitchen.

“What is that?’ he asked, coming in and taking a big whiff. Standing at the stove was Anthony, stirring a saucepan of beef and tomato sauce. Bubbling beside it was a big kettle of spaghetti noodles.

Anthony shrugged. “Thought you guys might be hungry…so I decided to make food.”

Ian grinned. “Thanks, man. I’m starving, actually. And Audrina’s asleep right now, but I’m sure she’ll be awake by the time it’s ready. If not, I’ll just wake her up. She shouldn’t sleep all afternoon, anyway.”

Anthony nodded. “Sounds good.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Ian asked.

Anthony paused for a moment. “Not that I can think of. Just sit down and check Twitter or something.”

Ian chuckled, sitting down on the sofa. He took his phone out of his pocket and a thought crossed his mind. He didn’t want to forget how cute and domestic Anthony

looked at this moment, so he secretly snapped a photo or two.

“Shows the fans, huh?” Anthony asked, eyes still on the phone.

Ian looked up. “What do you mean?”

“They always say we can’t cook. Well, I think this proves that I can,” Anthony turned and grinned.

Ian sat his phone on the coffee table in front of him. “So what you’re saying is that you can cook, but I can’t?”

Anthony shrugged. “Maybe so.” He slid some oven mitts on and opened the door of the oven.

Ian shook his head. “No, no. That’s not true and you know it. Just because you’re cooking right now and I’m not means nothing. I can cook. In fact, you’ve eaten my

food and survived. I’ll cook next time.”

Anthony chuckled, taking a tray of rolls out of the oven. “Whatever, man. The point is, we have a stove and an oven and we know how to use it.”

“We’re just lazy,” Ian finished for him.

Anthony sat the tray on the counter and took off his mitts. “Precisely…All right, I think everything’s ready. Go get Audrey and we can eat. I’ll get the plates and forks and cups and stuff.”

Ian jumped up from his chair and sprinted down the hallway. Despite the fact that Audrina had only been asleep for around thirty minutes or so, he knew that if he didn’t wake her up now, she wouldn’t sleep at all that night.

“Audrey…,” he whispered, reaching into her crib to pick her up.

Her little blue eyes fluttered open and she gazed right up at Ian. He smiled broadly at her and even though she didn’t smile back, he didn’t mind. He truly loved her and every little thing she did totally melted him. “It’s dinnertime,” he said, picking her up and holding her close to his chest. He kissed her hair and hugged her close.

He then carried her back to the kitchen.

He noticed that the lighting was very dim and a single white candle sat in the middle of the table.

Ian set Audrina down in her high chair, noticing that a jar of peach baby food and a spoon sat out in front of it.

He chuckled, sliding into his own chair. “A candle, man? What is that for?”

Anthony shrugged. “I just thought that it might be a little romantic.”

For a while, Ian studied Anthony, trying to decide if he was being serious or if he was just kidding. His heart had started beating impossibly fast as he waited for

Anthony to say something, anything.

Suddenly, Anthony burst out laughing and Ian was forced to fake a smile. “Nah, man,” he said. “I just thought it would be funny.” However, he made no moves to turn on the lights or to blow out the candle.

Ian feigned a chuckle. “Yeah, yeah, thanks, man.” He reached over to grab Audrina’s spoon to feed her, but Anthony held his hand up.

“Is it…is it all right if I feed her tonight?” Anthony asked shyly. “I haven’t gotten to yet and I wanna see what it’s like.”

Ian nodded, a genuine smile stretching across his face. “Sure, dude. I mean, if you really want to.”

Anthony grinned. “Awesome…Well, your plate’s ready so…Dig in.”

Ian watched as Anthony dipped the little spoon into the jar and Audrina opened her mouth, welcoming the food. He tore his eyes away only for a second to twirl the spaghetti Anthony had made around his fork. He was surprised that it was not only edible, but pretty tasty, as well.

“Told you I can cook,” Anthony said, smiling smugly.

Ian rolled his eyes, eating more spaghetti. “Whatever, man. You can cook one thing.”

“Try the bread.”

Ian tore off a small piece of his bread and took a bite. “Well, it’s hard to ruin bread, idiot.”

Anthony shrugged, feeding Audrina another spoonful. “You can burn it.”

Ian rolled his his eyes, chewing. “Yes, but you have to be a real dumb bucket to do that.”

Anthony chuckled, chewing quickly on a piece of bread. “Dumb bucket?” he repeated.

Ian shrugged. “I don’t wanna curse in front of Audrina. I mean, think of what her first word could be!”

Anthony threw his head back laughing. “It could be douche or firetruck!” He kept laughing, with Ian joining in after a while. “But then again,” Anthony said, “it could also be Ian or Anth or Smosh or…Da-da.”

Ian smiled. “I’d be okay with any of those. Just as long as she says Ian before Anth.”

“Hey!” Anthony exclaimed, “no fair! She loves me too.”

“Maybe,” Ian retorted, “but she loves me more.”

“Does not.”

“Does too.”

“Does not.”

“Does too!”

Audrina watched intently as her two caregivers shot back and forth at one another, laughing like hyenas and just genuinely having fun together.

 _I wish it could be like this all of the time_ , Ian thought to himself.

***

Later on that night, once the dishes were put away, Audrina had had a bath, and had been changed into warm pajamas, Ian and Anthony were putting her down for bed. She was very tired and kept yawning whilst she was bathed and dressed and even toward the end of her supper.

As soon as she was laid down in her crib, she clutched her beloved purple rabbit and shut her eyes.

“Shouldn’t we…should we sing to her or read her a story?” Anthony whispered to Ian.

Ian chuckled. “Well, maybe when she’s older. But for now, she’ll be fine with just going to sleep. Especially nights like tonight. She’s had a long day and she’s worn completely out.” His eyes flitted up to look at Anthony’s. There, he saw that his best friend was watching the baby girl in the crib raptly with a small smile on his face.

“She really is remarkable,” Anthony said, reaching into the crib to stroke her hand.

Ian nodded. “Yes, she is.”

“She’s beautiful, too,” Anthony whispered, turning to Ian. It’s crazy to think that she might actually be — biologically — on of ours. I mean, we’re raising her, sure. But to think that she might be half mine or half yours genetically? It’s insane.”

Ian didn’t reply. He was not only shocked by Anthony’s heartfelt words, but the realization that Anthony had made him come to. In every way that truly counted, he was Audrina’s father. He fed her, clothed her, played with her, and gave her a place to sleep. But Anthony did, too, and one of them — maybe, just maybe — had helped to give her life. It was not only an extraordinary thought, but also an unnerving one, too.

Ian titled his head toward the door, signaling to Anthony that it was time for them to go and let Audrina sleep. Anthony nodded and followed Ian out the door.

What happened next shocked Ian beyond anything that he’d ever experienced.

Once the two of them were both in the hallway, Anthony spun Ian around and held his shoulders in place. Ian frowned, watching Anthony stare hard into his eyes. His heart began to pound extremely hard and palms became sweaty. He swallowed before asking, “A-are you okay, dude?”

Anthony replied by shoving Ian against the wall hard. Ian was surprised that one of the many paintings that hung around the Smosh house didn’t fall to the floor and shatter.

Ian decided to try once more to figure out what Anthony was doing. “What are you do-”

He didn’t get to reply.

Anthony crashed his lips against Ian’s, immediately biting down on his bottom lip. His hands roamed down to Ian’s waist and he tightened his hands around the bottom of his shirt. A strangled, surprised sound came from Ian’s mouth, but it was soon replaced with a soft moan as Anthony’s tongue assaulted his.

 

For a few moments, Anthony kissed Ian with all of his might. Undoubtedly, of all the people that Ian had kissed, Anthony was the best. This could have easily been due to the fact that he’d been in love with him for a long, long time, but none of that mattered.

As they made out, their bottom halves unwittingly began to rub desperately together. Ian knew that Anthony had to feel his very obvious arousal through his jeans, but then again, Ian could also feel Anthony’s.

All too soon, it was over and Anthony was slowly letting go of Ian’s shirt. Ian shot Anthony a perplexed glance and reached up to touch his still sensitive, kiss swollen lips.

But before he could ask what the hell Anthony had just done, Anthony had bolted down the hallway and out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’ve been gone so long. I’ll just say that my writing center and philosophy classes have had me FRAZZLED. Legitimately so stressed. It’s almost Christmas break, though. I should be able to get a ton of writing done then. This update is mostly due to Thanksgiving break. So yay for being thankful!  
> AHHH! Finally some slash, huh? I know, I know, I’ve been dying for it, too. But now, Anthony’s clearly got some kind of feelings for Ian, right? How do you guys think that’s gonna go? How will it affect their overall relationship? Smosh? His girlfriend, Alyssa? And what about Audrina? Thanks for being the absolute best audience ever!


	11. There's Nothing to Talk About!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anthony comes home to an angry Ian. 
> 
> OR 
> 
> Where Ian gets the surprise of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I did! I finally got a 3DS and it’s red and black, my two favorite colors. Anyway, let’s get back to my very favorite story. Thanks so much for being patient, guys. That means literally so much to me and I’m über glad you’re all enjoying the story as much as you are. Also, the 25th was my one year Smosh anniversary so I’m really emotional haha. But anyway, here’s chapter 10!   
>  And oooh boy is it angsty.

For nearly five hours, Ian paced the floor of the Smosh house living room, his emotions varied. Sometimes worried, sometimes angry, sometimes confused, but always upset. His mind was clogged with thoughts of Anthony.

_Damn him for leaving. Damn him for kissing me. Damn him for making me feel this way._

Consequently, Ian was also flying over the moon with happiness. Anthony had _kissed_ him. Even more than that, he’d thrown him against the wall, pinned him against the wall, and had grinded up against him like his depended on it. He’d shoved his tongue into his mouth so far that Ian could taste the mint that he’d popped sometime after dinner. Anthony had bit down hard on Ian’s lips, bringing the metallic taste of blood into his palate. He wanted Anthony to kiss him that way again, but he also wanted to slap him for just running out like that. He wasn’t answering his phone and he'd been gone for hours. 

Ian was driving himself insane with worry. He was pacing the floor, dusting their furniture, and periodically checking in on Audrina every five minutes. Each time, he would find that she was sleeping peacefully in her crib, clutching her purple rabbit tightly. 

 _I’m actually going to kill Anthony when he gets home_ , Ian thought to himself, _I’m gonna wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze until he turns blue. I’m gonna-_

Ian was in the midst of wiping off their television for the hundredth time when the front door swung open, revealing a weak Anthony. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled, and his clothes were even a bit wrinkled. 

“Where the _fuck_ were you?” Ian demanded, stalking over to him. 

Anthony sighed. “With Alyssa.” 

This hit Ian like a truck. He knew for certain that Anthony saw his face fall, and that he swallowed, eyes glancing at the floor. 

“You should have told me where you were going,” he forced out. “I-I was worried sick.” 

Anthony shook his head. “Ian, not right now. I’ve got a fucking headache and I just want to go to bed.” He shifted forward in an attempt to push past Ian and go to his own room, but Ian stopped him, grabbing his wrist hard. 

Anthony turned back around and gave Ian a tired, questioning gaze. “Dude, what the he-” 

“We have to talk,” Ian spat, “right. Now.” 

The taller man rolled his eyes before settling down on the sofa. “What is it, Ian?” 

Ian sat down beside Anthony, mouth gaping open. “ _What is it?_ Gee, I don’t know, Anth. Maybe it’s the fact that you shoved your fucking tongue down my throat and then ran out like a little bitch!” 

Ian instantly regretted his words as he saw the immediate anger that flashed in his chocolate eyes. 

“First of all,” Anthony said through gritted teeth, “don’t fucking call me names. And secondly, there’s nothing to talk about.” 

“ _What_?!” Ian exclaimed, “there’s nothing to talk about?” 

“Nope,” Anthony replied smugly. 

Ian shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong, man. You _kissed_ me and then you ran out! I could have handled one or the other, but not both! Now, you better explain what the hell that was. And you’d better do it now.” 

Anthony took a deep breath. “Ian, please…Don’t make me do this.” 

“You did this to yourself,” Ian reminded him, “now start explaining.” 

Anthony shut his eyes and leaned his head on the couch. “Look, I really don’t know _why_ I kissed you. I have no clue at all. But I ran out because I didn’t want you to punch me or yell at me like you’re doing now.” He looked down at their dingy carpeting, a somber expression painted on his face. 

Ian softened at this and placed a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Anthony, I’m not angry that you kissed me. I’m angry that you ran out and wouldn’t answer my calls or texts. You scared the hell out of me.” 

“I’m sorry about that,” Anthony apologized, sighing. “And I’m sorry for kissing you. I’m so stupid…I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s like I just had this unexplainable jolt of lust and you were the only person around.” 

The truck hit Ian yet again, except this time, it wasn’t just a pickup. No, this time, it was an eighteen-fucking-wheeler carrying tons upon tons of cargo. 

Ian nodded, turning away from Anthony. “I-I see. You only wanted me because I was the only one around. Right.” 

Anthony frowned. “Well, yeah. I mean, it wouldn’t be right for me to want you, now would it? You’re my best friend, man. It’s…it would be weird.” 

“It’d be weird,” Ian repeated, shutting his eyes sadly. 

“Yeah…,” Anthony trailed off, “so I went to Alyssa’s. I tried to get her to fuck, but she…she broke up with me. I don’t understand it, either.” 

Ian raised his head a tiny bit. “She broke up with you?” he asked, a bit too enthusiastically. 

“Yes,” Anthony replied. “She said that I clearly wasn’t committed to the relationship the way that she was. And maybe I wasn’t,” he sighed, “but I still liked her a lot.” 

Ian nodded. “Yeah.” 

Anthony’s frown grew. “Ian, what’s the matter? I said I was sorry, more than once. I didn’t mean to kiss you.” 

“Yeah,” Ian said, biting his lip.   
“Dude!” Anthony exclaimed, “I apologized like three times, I can’t do anything else! I’m sorry that I risked our friendship over something as stupid as that. I promise I’m not gay or anything!” 

Ian sighed, holding back tears. “I’m f-fine,” he stuttered, “really.” 

Anthony jumped to his feet. “Fine. I’ll just go to bed. I don’t have time for this shit, I really don’t. I said I was sorry, I’m not gay for you or anything, and I’m home now. Damn it, Ian, we’re not married. I don’t have to deal with your nagging. That’s not part of the arrangement. You’re my best friend, not my husband.” 

Ian just shook his head, refusing to look at him. 

“Good _night_ ,” Anthony spat, “I’ll see you in the fucking morning.” 

Ian slightly turned his head to the right to see that Anthony’s shoulders were hunched in anger and that he was making his way toward the hallway to his bedroom. 

 _It’s now or never_ , he thought to himself.

“No,” he squeaked. 

Anthony stopped, turning around to face him. “What did you say?” 

Ian stood up slowly, sniffing. “I said, _no_.” 

“No, what?” Anthony asked, folding his arms over his chest.” 

Ian took a deep breath, inching his way over to where Anthony stood. “No, as in, no, you don’t get to do this to me.” 

“Do what?” Anthony asked, and Ian couldn’t believe how utterly clueless he was. 

Ian finally reached Anthony and stared him straight in the eyes, despite their height difference, Ian didn’t feel that much smaller. He felt brave and as if a giant weight was about to be lifted off of him. “Anthony, I have put up with _so_ much shit from you over the years that it’s ridiculous. And you know what? I can deal with it all. But not this. I can’t deal with this.” 

Anthony rolled his eyes. “I told you that I’m not ga-”

“That’s the point!” Ian exploded. “You keep assuming that because you kissed me and I got upset that I’m worried that you’re gay for me, when in reality…that’s all I’ve ever wanted.” 

Anthony furrowed his brown in obvious puzzlement so Ian kept going. 

“Don’t you get it, Anthony? Jesus Christ…I love you. I’ve always loved you,” he shut his eyes and bowed his head in embarrassment, his cheeks burning. He couldn’t look at Anthony, not anymore, not now that he knew Ian’s true feelings. 

“And that’s why I can’t do this. I can’t handle you spitting at me about you not being gay, how you’d _never_ be gay, especially not for me. That it’s unnatural and sickening for someone to love their best friend. Because I love you, Anthony. I always have and I always will.” 

Finally, he was able to look up at Anthony again. His mouth was agape and his wide were wide. His arms were hanging stiffly at his sides, his fists curled tightly. 

 _Maybe he’ll hit me_ , Ian thought to himself, _it would be better than him just standing there like a fucking idiot._  

Ian shook his head. “I shouldn’t have expected you to understand. You know, I wish I didn’t love you. You’re annoying as hell and rude and half of the time, I can’t stand you. But watching you with Audrina today, and the meeting, and…before you left, it made me rethink all of those feelings. It’s almost like I hate you as much as I love you, but I thought maybe you’d changed. I see I was wrong.” He sighed. “I can understand if you don’t feel the same way, but what I don’t understand is why you feel like you can play with my feelings the way you do.” 

He shut his eyes again and turned away from Anthony, who was still being annoyingly silent. 

For a few moments, neither man said a word. Ian, because he was suffocating emotionally and Anthony, because he was too shocked to move. 

“I always knew,” Anthony said, finally.

Ian tentatively turned his head back to his friend, who was now the one staring at the floor. “Huh?” 

“Well, maybe not _always._ But for a long time. I could tell you felt something for me beyond friendship. I thought I was insane, but then the threesome and Audrina and the meeting…,” he trailed off. 

Ian might have gasped if he could have breathed at the time. Never, under any circumstances, did they bring up the night with Kara. And Anthony had just blatantly brought it up as if it were nothing. 

“I…well, I had some kind of feelings for you, too, Ian. Lust, I guess, was what it was at first. It was bad. I mean, _really_ bad. I don’t even wanna talk about it. So, today, after we put Audrina to bed, I thought if maybe I kissed you, it would prove that I was crazy, that you didn’t like me, that I didn’t like you. But you kissed me back and you did it so _damn_ well. I had to get away because if I hadn’t have, I’m afraid I would have taken advantage of you,” he stopped finally. taking a deep breath. 

Needless to say, Ian was stunned. 

Anthony went on. “I went to Alyssa’s and tried to get her to help me out. To do something, _anything_ , have sex, blow me, or hell, even jerk me, but she wouldn’t. She told me that I clearly loved someone more than her and Goddammit, if she wasn’t talking about you.” 

Ian still remained silent, too shocked to say or do anything at all. In fact, he was surpassed that he hadn’t collapsed yet. 

“So, Ian, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but I’m not toying with your damn feelings. I’m not trying to make you a gay experiment because I’ve been dealing with this a really long time and it was hard for me to do this. I don’t talk about how I feel, even with you. Especially not _about_ you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go to bed. I’m sick of this.” Anthony clenched his fists again, turning his back to Ian and heading down the hallway. 

However, he stopped when he felt a hand grip his wrist for the second time that night. He turned around to see Ian, smiling and teary-eyed, pulling him toward him. Suddenly, he was pressed flush up against him and Ian was cupping his face. Before he knew it, they were kissing. 

Only this time, he wasn’t the one initiating it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW THE HELL DID THAT PERSPECTIVE SWITCH HAPPEN?! Oh well, it’s fine, I guess.   
>  Just a head’s up, the next chapter will be smut. Graphic, smutty, smut. If you don’t like it, you can just skip it. I’ll be sure not to put anything too important in it for those that aren’t comfortable reading sexy times.  
>  Thanks, again! :D


	12. It's a Dream Come True!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains smut. Smut, as in, Ian and Anthony will be involved in a sexual situation. This chapter does not necessarily further the story, so you don’t have to read it if you’re uncomfortable with sexual content. The next chapter will pick up right where this one leaves off and no major plot will be in this one. This is basically PWP. If you like smut, enjoy! If you don’t, I’ll see you in chapter 12! :D  
>  (Also, as I have stated before, I am always very self-conscious about smut because I feel I can’t write it well).

****They crashed together, arms, waists, torsos, noses, mouths, backing up until Ian was once again pressed between the wall and Anthony. He certainly wasn’t complaining, though, as Anthony kissed him, hard and desperate, gasps and moans escaping both of their mouths. Their tongues interlocked, tasting and prodding, and Ian was sure that his eyes would roll into the back of his head.

Anthony moved his mouth down, down to the flesh of his neck, first pecking softly, before the kisses got longer, wetter, and went from lips to tongue, darting back and forth over the skin. When Ian felt teeth, he should have been upset that Anthony was marking him, but he wasn’t, he just groaned, rolling his head over to his shoulder, giving Anthony easier access. 

“W-want you,” Ian heard, muffled and whispered into his ear. He shut his eyes and jerked forward, burying his face in Anthony’s neck and grinding the lower half of his body upward, knocking he and Anthony together clumsily. He heard Anthony swear under his breath and his hands trailed down to the hem of Anthony’s shirt. 

“L-let’s go to my room,” Anthony gasped, leaning his forehead against Ian’s. 

Ian smiled, his heart pounding fast in his ribcage. “We have to be quiet so we don’t wake up Audrina.” 

Anthony chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever.” He smacked Ian playfully on his arm before chasing him into his bedroom. 

The back of Ian’s legs hit the black and gray checked bedspread and before he knew it, Anthony had his legs spread wide, forced onto his back. He was so hard that his jeans were painful and he was squirming as Anthony rubbed against him, cock to cock. Their lips met once again, desperately, as if they’d never be able to touch each other like this again. 

“Fuck these pants,” Anthony hissed, working at the button of Ian’s jeans. Ian chuckled, still beyond belief that this was actually happening. “Want help?” 

Anthony shook his head. “No.” He let out a squeal of triumph as the button came open and he grabbed Ian’s shoulders, kissing him again. He zipped them down as Ian laughed some more. At that, Anthony kissed him harder, biting down viciously on Ian’s bottom lip and gripping his ass hard as Ian kicked out of his jeans. 

“What do you wanna do?” Anthony asked, reaching Ian’s shirt over his head. 

Ian looked up into Anthony’s brown eyes with his own blue ones and stopped. He was still having trouble comprehending that this was actually happening. It was shocking enough to hear that Anthony had feelings for him, but for Anthony to act on them? To kiss him, touch him, shove him up against things whilst whispering dirty things in his ear? That was a totally different story. 

“I want you…,” Ian trailed off, gasping. “I want you to tell me…tell me you want this as much as I want this.” 

Anthony paused for a moment and both Ian’s breathing and heart stopped, waiting, watching, for a reply. He released a deep relieved breath when his best friend nodded slowly. “I want this…so much.” 

They crashed together again, only this time, the kiss wasn’t so messy and desperate. It was softer, slower, and more chaste with much less tongue. Ian sighed, dropping his hands down to Anthony’s jeans, popping the button open with much more ease than Anthony had with his. He quickly zipped them down and then pushed forward. Surprised, Anthony let go of him, giving Ian enough time to shove him down onto the bed. 

The taller man gasped. “Ian…What are you-“

Ian shushed him, trailing his fingers up his thighs and between his legs. He pressed his palm onto the bulge in Anthony’s black boxers and quirked his eyebrow, locking eyes with him. Before Anthony could respond, Ian had pushed the boxers down, lowering his face into the space between his legs. Anthony’s dick was fully hard and big and dear God, so much better in person. Ian could hardly contain himself as his tongue darted out to give the large cock a tentative lick. 

Anthony shuddered. “I-Ian.”                                                                                     

Ian chuckled before swirling his tongue over the tip and closing his fingers around the base. Using his hand, he slowly caressed the sensitive underside. Anthony began to arch his hips off of the bed, trying to push himself deeper into Ian’s mouth. He shut his eyes and gasped. 

“I-Ian,” he moaned, “you’re…you’re too good, I fucking swear…,” everything else was lost in a haze of groans as his eyes closed.

Ian smiled and hummed, inching down and taking more of Anthony into his mouth, and moving his hand down to cup his balls. 

“Hmm,” Anthony whined, “come on, Ian.” 

The blue-eyed man decided to stop teasing him. After all, he wanted to come, too, and he for sure did not want Anthony to tease him for very long. 

With that, Ian worked his mouth down, swallowing all of Anthony. Anthony gasped, grasping the comforter beneath him. “Ian,” he stammered, “f-fuck.” 

Ian bobbed his head, quickening his pace. He looked up at Anthony, whose eyes were shut and he was trembling. It was such a beautiful sight that he was afraid that he’d come from that alone. He reached one of his hands up and rested it on Anthony’s shaking thigh. He caressed it softly and smiled as Anthony began to shake. 

“I-Ian!” Anthony exclaimed loudly, his entire body shuddering, “y-yes!” 

Anthony’s orgasm was music to Ian’s ears. 

Ian swallowed almost all of it, even as he heard Anthony protest., “you don’t have to do that, Ian.” He ignored him and slowly released Anthony from his mouth. 

“W-wow,” Anthony breathed, sitting up. “You’ve got no fucking gag reflex.” 

Ian chuckled. “You knew that. Remember the Lunchtime where we grilled and I swallowed all of the shish kabob?” 

Anthony nodded. “Yeah, of course. Now,” he gave Ian a lustful gaze, “it’s _your_ turn.” 

Ian grinned, flopping onto his back, glad that Anthony was wasting no time. He watched as the doe-eyed gave him one of the dirtiest stares he’d ever seen. Just that look made him want him even more. 

Anthony curled his fingers around the shaft of Ian’s cock and began to move it slowly. Ian gritted his teeth before sitting up. As Anthony continued to jerk him slowly, he wrapped his arms around his best friend, burying his face into his neck. He bit his lip as tears quietly began to fall down his cheeks. He was so happy right now. So wonderfully, unbelievably happy. 

As Anthony’s hand motions began to speed up, so did Ian’s breathing. His mouth was agape, lips brushing against the soft flesh of Anthony’s neck. “I-I’m close,” he whispered. 

With that said, Anthony slowed his pace a bit and tilted his head to kiss Ian softly. “Love you, too.”

Ian came hard, digging his fingernails into the skin of Anthony’s back. “F-fuck!” he exclaimed, trembling hard. 

The two of them stayed in that position for a while. Ian in Anthony’s lap, arms wrapped tightly around him, his face in Anthony’s neck; Anthony pressing his cheek to Ian’s, running his fingers through Ian’s sweaty hair. They didn’t want this moment to end, the two of them pressed together so desperately. Both of their hearts were pounding furiously, chests pressed together, bodies so close together that they were almost one. 

Ian’s eyes began to close slowly and he felt himself being raised. “A-Anthony, what are you doing?” 

“Moving you,” he replied, setting him down on the pillows. “You’re sleepy.” 

Ian grinned. “I’m not your girlfriend.” 

Anthony gave him a playful punch. “First of all, that’s my thing. And secondly…no, you’re my boyfriend.” 

Ian would have responded, but this moment was too perfect and he didn’t want to ruin it with anything stupid and mushy. 

As he began to nod off, he felt the black and gray covers lifted to his neck and a shuffle beside him. Anthony wrapped his arms around Ian and kissed his forehead. “Night, Ian.” 

Ian went to sleep that night happier than he’d ever been in his entire life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so long omg. Writing smut gives me anxiety so I applaud those of you who do it on a regular basis. Sorry there was such a delay.   
>  Psst, this story’s gonna be over in like seven or eight chapters. ZOMG.


	13. You're Back!

Ian woke up the next morning smiling. The first thing he’d laid eyes on was Anthony. All snoring, drooling, sleepy Anthony — and Ian had never seen something so beautiful. Their legs had been entwined, making Ian much warmer than he was used to. Anthony was also a blanket hog, but Ian really didn’t care. All of these little things were menial compare to what had happened the night before. He and Anthony had confessed their love for one another and then they’d expressed it — two things that Ian had assumed would never happen. Much to his surprise, they’d both happened and it wasn’t a dream. 

His life, it seemed, was perfect. He had Smosh, Audrina, the cutest little girl that he could have ever asked for, and Anthony, the love of his life. And he also had the best friends in the world. Life couldn’t get much better. 

As much as he didn’t want to leave the bed that morning, he also wanted to do something special for Anthony to not only thank him for cooking the night before but to also celebrate their newfound relationship. He deduced that a breakfast from a nearby donut shop would be perfect (and not at all because he himself loved donuts). 

Ian quietly and carefully, so as to not wake Audrina and Anthony up, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and combed his fingers through his hair. He slid on his shoes and got his keys wallet and wrote Anthony a quick note. 

_Anthony,_

_I’m going to get some breakfast. Be back in a couple hours._

_-Ian xo_

Ian added the hug and kiss because he wasn’t for certain if he should say ‘I love you’ again. It wasn’t that he was afraid to tell Anthony that he loved him, but really just because he wasn’t sure how Anthony would react or if he’d say it back. He wasn’t even sure if they were together yet so surely it was too early, even if Anthony had said that Ian was now his boyfriend (which made him squeal like a little girl) He thought later about how simple it would have been to just text Anthony about where he was going, but the note was a cute idea.

And with that idea in mind, Ian left, not yet knowing of the travesty that he’d be returning to. 

*

Anthony woke up to find Ian gone. In a way, he was glad. In others, he was disappointed. He hadn’t lied the night before when he’d told his best friend that he loved him, but he was also totally unsure of what would happen next. Ian loved him, too, but what did that mean? Were they supposed to fall into the simple, preconceived notion of family? Would they be boyfriends, possibly husbands? Anthony had called Ian his boyfriend, after all. Maybe they’d even have more kids? The idea didn’t sound too bad, but it was also a scary concept. Anthony had never been in a relationship with a man before, much less a relationship with his best friend in the world. And there was also Smosh and Audrina to think about…

He reached over to the bedside table beside him and was surprised when his fingers brushed by a slip of paper. He rubbed some of the sleep out of his eyes before grabbing the paper and reading it. Ian’s words made his face turn red. 

 _I’m definitely in love with him_ , he thought to himself. 

Anthony sighed and got out of bed, sliding on some plaid pajama pants and an old Food Battle t-shirt. People often asked why he and Ian so frequently wore their own merchandise. Many people assumed it was to promote the brand and that was a bonus, sure. But in reality, it was because they more or less received the shirts for free and hey, they were as comfortable as anything else he owned. 

He yawned, scratching his arm before leaving his bedroom and heading down the hall. He turned into Audrina’s room. 

“Good morning, Audrey,” he cooed, ambling up to her crib.

She was awake, but lying down in her crib, giving Anthony the impression that she was still sleepy. He looked over to see her purple rabbit laying alone at her feet. “What’s your rabbit doing here?” he asked her. 

Her eyes glanced over at the rabbit as she yawned, before small, chubby fingers reached for the plush toy. 

Anthony handed it to her and then gently lifted her out of the crib. She gave him a curious look as her laid her on her changing table. 

“Ah,” Anthony said, reaching for a diaper. “Bet you’re wondering where Ian is, huh? Well, he left me a note saying that he was going out to get some breakfast. He should be back soon.” 

Once her diaper was changed, Anthony changed her into a yellow sundress with ducks on it. “We can go watch Pokémon again, if you want,” he informed her, tickling her stomach. As she never did, the baby did not respond to the touch. 

“Aw, come on,” he complained, carrying her into the living room, “you gotta laugh sometime. Or smile. Or cry. Or show some kind of emotion, for that matter. We love you and want you to be happy. You don’t have to bottle it up in front of us.” 

She gripped her rabbit, looking ahead at the television, as if waiting for Anthony to turn the anime on. 

He sighed. “I know Kara wasn’t the best mom ever, but you can’t let her ruin you right away. I know there’s a great little girl somewhere inside of you. You just gotta let her free!” 

Just as Anthony was about to turn the movie on, the doorbell rang. 

“That’s funny,” he said to Audrina. “Daddy Ian would’ve just used his key, wouldn’t he?” 

She stared blankly at him, earning a laugh from her other father. “I guess you wouldn’t know just yet, would you, Audrey?” 

He hugged her close to him and walked over to the front door. “Who do you think it is?” he cooed to Audrina, who stared attentively at the door, as if she very much wanted to know, too. 

Anthony unlocked the door and turned the knob, revealing a short, stocky brunette woman that he knew all too well. 

“Kara?” 

Anthony could hardly believe his eyes. 

The girl smiled and nodded. “Yes, Anthony. I’m back for my baby.” 

At first, Anthony was confused, but all too soon, realization hit him. He swallowed hard, thinking back to what he’d asked of her those months ago.

 _“Listen Kara, I can’t raise a kid. And hell, neither can Ian. He_ thinks _he can, but I know that if he takes this on, Smosh will never last. And neither of us can afford that.,”_ _he’d whispered desperately into the phone one late night._

_“Not my problem,” she’d replied, “she’s as much my kid as she is yours.”_

_“Bullshit!” he exclaimed, “we don’t even know who her real father is.”_

_She’d chuckled. “Fine. Give me your toothbrushes and we’ll find out for sure. But until then, you’re gonna be her family. I know for a fact Ian would_ never _let his baby be homeless.”_

_Anthony had rolled his eyes. “Fine. Just..fine. Look, we’ll keep her a few months. Once you finish the semester, take her back. And if you do, I’ll pay for the rest of your tuition. All of it.”_

_The line on the other side was completely silent._

_“Kara?”_

_“I’m here. I’m just thinking. And I’m thinking that’ll work,” she’d replied, smirking._

_Anthony had sighed with relief. “So we got a deal?”_

_“Yep,” she’d replied, “you pay my tuition, I’ll come get the kid.”_

_Then she’d hung up._

“No,” Anthony replied, “n-no. That was…no.” 

Kara invited herself in, chucking Audrina under the chin as she walked by. “How’s my baby been? How’s my little Audie?” 

“Don’t call her that,” Anthony scowled, “her name’s Audrina. Audie is a stupid name for a stupid kid and Audrina’s not stupid.” 

Kara snorted. “ _Really_ now? She hasn’t cried or smiled or laughed or done much of _anything_ while she’s been here, has she?” 

Anthony was silent for a moment. “Well, no…, but she’s smart. And I know that one day she’ll-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped. “Just give me my child.” 

“No!” Anthony retorted. “She’s my kid. Mine and Ian’s. You just left her here with two strangers and now she finally has a stable home. I’m not gonna let you take her from that again.” 

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” she spat, “but I’m pretty sure you were the only calling me at twelve am a few months ago practically _begging_ me to take Audrina back. Well, now I’m here to do it and you’re saying _no_?” 

Anthony nodded. “I am. Look, I’ll pay the damn tuition, but you’ve gotta leave her here. She’s happy and she’s healthy and she’s grown so much-”

“She’s _my_ kid!” Kara snapped, “and she’s coming home with me. What judge is gonna give a baby to a couple of young bachelors who work for _Youtube_?” She stated Youtube as if it were a disgusting animal.

Anthony sighed. “I won’t let you.” 

She snorted. “Fine. If you won’t let me, I’ll get the court to take her from you. And then, who knows? She might end up in foster care. Or worse, an orphanage. You know better, Padilla. You’re not Ian. You’re not happy-go-lucky and obsessed with being a dad and having this nice, perfect, little, gay family, are you? In fact, it disgusts you to the point where you wanna move out. I get it, I do. You’re a realist. You know that if your fans found out about you and Ian’s relationship — and yes, I know, because I’ve seen how that dumb boy looks at you — and about Audrina that they’d unsubscribe and _never_ tune in again. And then, where would you be? Chuck E. Cheese and lowly web design?” 

“Shut. Up,” Anthony instructed. 

She sighed. “Sure. But I’m taking Audrina with me.” She softened, in the only way a spiteful, vindictive woman can. “You know she’s better off. And you know both of you are, too.” 

Anthony bit his lip and sighed. Everything Kara was saying was impossibly true. About Smosh, about the fans, about his and Ian’s relationship. This was all a stupid little fantasy that had to end sometime. Because, in reality, he was going to get married to a woman some day and have a couple kids and a cat. Ian would do the same, but he’d get a dog. They’d become writers or directors or actors and never touch Smosh again. They’d eventually move out of the Smosh house and they’d become adults. This, what they were currently doing, it wasn’t reality, as much as he and Ian both wanted it to be. 

Defeated, Anthony nodded his head. “I’ll get her stuff,” he whispered. 

He took special care in packing things away, whilst still holding her. He knew he needed to hurry because Ian would be home soon and he wouldn’t be able to do this with him there. 

Once everything was ready and loaded in the car, he handed Audrina to Kara, choking back tears. “Bye,” he whispered to her, unable to say anything else. 

Audrina gave him a frantic, questioning look as he handed her the purple rabbit. “We’ll come visit you,” he told her, biting his lip. “I promise.” 

Kara turned back around, reaching into her purse. “Oh, one last thing.” She pulled out a manilla folder and handed it to him, her long, red nails scraping his hand. “We got the DNA test in. Turns out, you _were_ her dad, after all.” 

Anthony’s jaw dropped as she turned around. “Toodle-oo!” 

Though Kara’s back was to him, he could still Audrina’s face as she dropped her rabbit. He ran to get it and yelled for Kara to stop, but she didn’t. As he bent down to pick it up, he glanced up at the baby one last time. He was shocked at what he saw. 

Because for the first time ever, a tear was slipping down Audrina’s cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no words other than if your name is Audie, I’m sorry for calling your name stupid. It’s a lovely name. Anthony just doesn’t agree.


	14. You're Poison!

Anthony watched Kara’s silver Mustang drive off, his heart breaking. He swallowed hard, clutching the rabbit close. He couldn’t believe he’d just allowed her to take _his daughter_ away from him. And to top it off, Audrina’s eyes had been begging, willing him to get her back. And he’d just stood there as she cried. 

She’d never cried a day in her life until that moment. 

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes. His mind was running a million miles a minute and he couldn’t breathe properly. His chest hurt, too. 

Suddenly, he heard a car pull into the garage. 

_Ian!_

Anthony had forgotten all about Ian. What was he supposed to tell him? 

Sighing, he dragged his feet back into the house, anxiously awaiting the terrible fate that he knew he deserved. What the _fuck_ had he been thinking? He threw the door open to see Ian taking off his jacket and setting down a box from their favorite donut shop. 

“Hey,” Ian greeted him, blushing and looking down at the floor. 

“H-hey,” Anthony replied. 

Ian gestured to the box. “I…I got some donuts for breakfast. I did some shopping, too. Audrina was out of shampoo and stuff. I also got her some donut holes. Is she awake?” 

Anthony felt like he’d been hit by a truck. How the hell would he explain this to Ian? He loved Audrina so much…

“I—I…,” he trailed off. 

Ian frowned. “Is something wrong? Is it about last night?” he asked, fear evident in his eyes. “Because if so, I-”

“No, no!” Anthony interjected, “that’s not it at all. Last night was amazing..Seriously,” he finished, grinning at Ian as his cheeks grew red. 

Ian looked down at his feet, beaming and blushing simultaneously. “Really?” 

Anthony nodded. “It was the best night of my life. I meant all of it, Ian. I really did. I honestly love you.” 

Ian beamed. “I…I really love you, too.” 

The two men stood in their living room for a few moments, blushing and smiling to themselves, just happy to be in the presence of one another. It was Ian who stepped forward first, wrapping his arms around Anthony and resting his head on the taller man’s shoulder, burying his face in his neck.

“I’m so happy,” he murmured. 

Anthony pressed a kiss onto Ian’s bowl hair. “Me, too.” 

He could literally feel the guilt eating him alive. 

Ian pulled away slightly and looked up at him. Anthony was surprised to see a small amount of tears pooling in his blue eyes. “I just…I know you weren’t happy at all when Kara dropped Audrina off here that night and to know that now you love her _and_ me and we’re gonna be a family…I’m so beyond blessed.” 

Anthony gritted his teeth. “About that….,” he trailed off. 

The shorter man shot him a sad glimpse. “Unless you don’t want to. In that case, I totally understand, I-”

“No, Ian!” Anthony protested, “it’s not that, I just…,” he found himself unable to speak the dreadful words. 

“Then what’s wrong?” Ian asked, clasping Anthony’s hands in his smaller ones. “I can tell something’s bothering you. If it’s me or Audrey or both of us, I don’t care. Just tell me.” 

Anthony swallowed hard before biting his lip. “Ian…something happened while you were gone and I-”

Panic flashed on Ian’s face. “Is it Audrina? Is she okay?” 

“I…,” Anthony trailed off again, “she….well-”

“Spit it out!” Ian exclaimed, utter alarm evident on his face. “Where is she? Is she in her room?!” 

Anthony shook his head. “Kara…she came back by while you were gone and…she took Audrey with her.” 

Ian’s mouth dropped open as he realized what Anthony was telling him. “Wh-what? You’ve got to be kidding me. I swear to God, Anthony, if you’re fucking with me, I’ll…This isn’t funny.” 

“No, I’m not kidding, Ian. She left with Audrina and all of her things…well, besides her rabbit.” He looked down at his feet shamefully. 

Ian’s lip began to tremble. “Sh-she didn’t even take the rabbit? But…Audrey can’t sl-sleep without her.” He began to sniff and scrub viciously at the tears that were beginning to pour out of his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ian-”

“You’re _sorry_?” Ian asked, “Why the _fuck_ did you let her take _my baby_? Anthony, where the hell were your balls? You couldn’t have just told her no? That she’s ours?” 

“Ian, I-”

“No,” he protested fiercely, “we’ve got to go after them! She’s _our_ kid, Anthony! We can’t let her just take her! She just left her here with us months back and now she randomly wants her back?!” 

Anthony felt a pang in his stomach and chest. He wanted to fall through the floor. More than that, he wanted to wake up and see Ian beside him. He didn’t want Kara to have come to their house. He wanted to be holding Audrina. He wanted to lie on the couch with his arms around Ian and with Audrina in both of their laps. 

He wanted his _life_. 

“I…Ian, there’s something I have to tell you,” he said, still staring at the floor, still in a daze. 

“What?” Ian asked, “what happened?!” 

Anthony sighed. “About a night or so after Kara left, I looked her up and I…I called her. I promised her that if she’d just come and get Audrina, then I’d pay for her grad school tuition-”

Ian shook his head fitfully. “You’re a fucking liar. You’d never do that. Not the Anthony I know. Not my best friend.”

“Ian, please. I know I fucked up, but I was thinking about Smosh and how we couldn’t possibly raise her. I thought I was doing the right thing and -”

“Why didn’t you talk to me?!” Ian demanded. “And how was that any of your concern?! I would have been willing to raise her alone. You should have just _told_ me! You knew, you _knew_ how much I love that baby and you _still_ went behind my back! And for what?! To get rid of one of the greatest things that ever happened to me?!” 

Anthony swallowed hard and raked at his suddenly itching eyes. “I couldn’t talk to you, Ian! You were so happy with being a parent and going to all of these _dad_ things, I couldn’t take that away from you! Seeing you happy makes me happy. All I want is for you to be happy!” 

Ian scoffed. “Sure! That’s why you gave my fucking child away, right?”

Anthony put his face in his hands sighing. “I wasn’t thinking, okay? I was dumb as fuck and I know that now. I love Audrina, I really do. I tried to talk Kara out of taking her back, but she brought up courts and foster care and I couldn’t let that happen to her!” 

Ian threw his hands in the air. “Right, right. Because her ending up in foster care makes so much goddamn sense. She just did that to scare you and I can’t _believe_ you fell for it. Even more so, I can’t believe that you asked her to take away _my_ kid and then you let her! And what’s worse is that you were too much of a pussy to do it while I was here!” 

Anthony ran a hand through his hair, staring at the ground again. He knew he deserved everything that Ian was throwing at him, but it still really stung, especially when only a few minutes ago Ian was professing his love for him. He could only nod in response. 

Ian blinked away a few more tears before turning around and picking up his jacket and keys once more. 

“Where are you going?” Anthony asked pathetically. “Away from you. I’m so fucking done. I don’t care if _you_ gave her away, Anthony, I won’t let her stay with Kara. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll get her back.” 

“How?!” Anthony demanded, “Kara’s her _biological_ mother. A judge would never give her to you.” 

Ian gritted his teeth. “He might. We’ll just get a fucking DNA test. But in the meantime, I’m leaving. I can’t be around you or this house anymore.” 

“But what about Smosh?!” Anthony demanded. “You can’t just leave it in the dust. What will the fans say? And Ryan?” 

Ian shrugged. “That’s your Goddamn problem.” 

He turned his back again, clearly heading toward the front door. 

Anthony knew he only had a few more shots to get Ian to stay, albeit they were underhanded. At that point, he didn’t care. He knew that if Ian left, he’d be done. He’d be a broken shell of a man with no purpose. 

“You said you loved me,” Anthony whispered, as if it was secret, something he wasn’t supposed to reveal. “You said you’ve always loved me.”

Slowly, Ian turned back around. He glowered at him. “You said you loved me, too, you asshole. I don’t call this love.” 

Anthony bit his lip as he felt it begin to tremble. His hands were shaking, too. He knew that he was bound to break out into sobs at any given moment. “Don’t get a DNA test.” 

“Don’t tell me what to fucking do,” Ian snapped, “if she’s mine, I have a right to know.” 

With a shaking finger, Anthony pointed at their kitchen counter. “Th-there. It’s already been done. Kara dropped it off.” 

Ian gave him a hard look before snatching the manilla folder. He viciously ripped it open and Anthony watched as the seal dropped to the floor with a _ping_. Ian tore the papers out of the folder and grimaced, reading it. 

Anthony slowly walked over to Ian and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ian. I love you, I really do. And I wish to God I would have never done that. I was an idiot, I know. But you have no legal right to her. Don’t waste your time and your feelings.” 

Ian shook Anthony’s arm off of him. “Don’t fucking touch me.” 

And with that, he punched Anthony in the face. 

Instantly, Anthony raised his hand to his face, his freezing, trembling fingers welcome to the stinging pain on his cheek. “I-Ian,” he sobbed, finally breaking down. “I’m sorry…Just please don’t leave. Please.” 

Ian shook his head. “You ruined my life, Anthony. I loved you more than anyone else in the whole world. Hell, I still do. But I can’t be around you. You’re fucking poison.” He turned his back, shoulders hunched, feet biting the ground with every stomp, and tears shooting down his cheeks. 

Anthony’s legs gave out and he sank to the dingy carpet beneath him. 

At that point, he didn’t care if the carpet swallowed him whole. 

 


	15. What Are You Doing?!

For a few solid weeks, Anthony was secretly miserable. He carried on with his business — personal and Smosh-related — quietly, as if he and Ian had never had a falling out. He arranged future meetings, made agreements, uploaded videos. But when he was at home alone in the Smosh house, he sat, tired and lonely. He stared blankly at a plasma television, constantly ate leftover Chinese takeout, and scoured Ian’s social media platforms in hope that he might get some kind of hint to where he’d ran off to. At night, he cried. 

They were all in different variations. There was the silent cry, one that came as he got ready to leave the living room and head to bed, as he would remember Ian slapping him on the shoulder and laughingly wish him nightmares. There was the laughing-cry, that occurred when a cute or funny memory of Ian would pop into his head. Like how they’d fall asleep on the floor or couch together playing video games, or when they’d throw pizza at each other. There was the loud, wracking sobs that shook his shoulders maniacally, consuming him as he’d finally settle into bed at night. These were constant and took place every single night as he caught a glimpse into Ian or Audrina’s room or even thought about them. About how Audrina had never known what crying was until he’d given her up foolishly. Or how Ian’s beautiful, nude body had been in his bed only weeks before. 

Anthony would have guessed that Ian was somewhere in LA, considering that was where most of their friends lived. Be that as it may, he’d yet to brave the plane ride to southern California, despite Smosh Games. This was due to the fact that Ian had called off any filming with Anthony that they’d previously scheduled. Luckily, they had an abundance of Smosh videos saved up. But they were running out quickly. 

More than that, was absolutely terrified as to what Ian would do upon meeting him again. During their last conversation, Ian had screamed at him, cried, and punched him in the face — something both of them had sworn against years before. Anthony knew that he’d deserved every moment of it, but it didn’t stop the utter and raw pain that he felt deep in his chest. 

For over fifteen years, Ian had been his one and only constant. He’d always been there when someone else was there or when they were not. He was there when Anthony had had girlfriends and when he did not. He was there with Anthony all throughout high school and all throughout his awkward teenage years. Ian never had never judged him for anything that Anthony had ever done. He’d been his shoulder to cry on, his rock, his best friend, and more recently, his lover. And every part of him, missed every single fucking _piece_ of Ian. 

He honestly couldn’t believe how shitty he’d truly treated Ian over the years. Asking him for girl advice, throwing how many girls he was sleeping with in his face, teasing him about when — and if — he’d get a girlfriend, bothering him about actually caring for Audrina, throwing him out of his own _Goddamn_ bed so that he could fuck his girlfriend. He was a terrible friend, but more than that, he was a terrible partner. He understood that he oftentimes took the majority of credit for Smosh and didn’t let Ian talk as much as he should. Ian was quieter and more shy, which Anthony — more often than he’d like to admit — took advantage of.

In a nutshell, he felt like an all around, fucked up person. He’d had a great, loyal best friend, a sweet, adorable child, a fantastic job, and quite possibly a life partner, but he’d lost all of it, all because of his own selfishness and insecurities. Hell, he couldn’t even work up enough courage to go to LA (or wherever) to find said friend. 

That is, until he received a call from Mari Takahashi one early, Monday morning. 

His phone had went off and groggily, he’d reached over to his bedside table, knocking over a glass of water. It clattered to the floor and splashed all over his plush carpeting. 

“Son of a bitch,” he’d murmured, blinking sleep out of his eyes. He pressed the phone to his ear without even bothering to look at the caller. “Hello?” he answered faintly. 

“Anthony Padilla, what the _fuck_ are you doing?!” an angry, feminine voice exploded in his ear. 

He groaned, using his other hand to wipe at his eyes. “Mari? What do you mean?” 

“I _mean_ that Ian Hecox, your best friend, the guy you’re in love with, the guy in love with you, father of your daughter, is at my apartment and has been for far too long. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Ian to pieces and would love to have him around all of the time, but he belongs with you, Anthony. Not me. You-” she didn’t get to finish her long spiel due to Anthony cutting her off. 

“No, no!” Anthony protested, “I don’t know what Ian told you, but _he_ left _me_. I can’t just go after him. He wants nothing to do with me!” 

Mari took a deep breath. “That’s the exact opposite of what he wants, Anthony! Sure, you fucked up, you fucked you big time. But he loves you and he loves Audrina and he wants _both_ of you back. And neither of that can happen if you don’t come talk to him. I can’t let you ruin all three of your lives.” 

“But-”

“No buts,” she interjected. “Just get your ass on a plane.” 

And Anthony woke up, showered, packed, and did just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: I use the word literally way too much in this little blurb): I’m sorry for not updating sooner, but I’ve been crazy busy with prom shopping and school and just a lot of stuff. Sorry, sorry, sorry. BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW SMOSH LITERALLY STOLE MY FIC IDEA?! In one of their newer videos, WORST PARENTS EVER, they LITERALLY had a baby dropped off at their house IN WHICH THEY HAD TO TAKE CARE OF IT! And in the BTS, they were pretending to be a couple WITH A BABY GIRL. AND IAN WAS HOLDING HER LIKE HE WAS LEGIT HER DAD. AND ANTHONY WAS RELUCTANT. I was freaking out and my Twitter friends were freaking out AND IT WAS JUST A HUGE FREAKOUT. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! :D


	16. This is an Intervention!

“Ian, what the hell are you doing?” Mari asked him one morning, a few weeks after the worst day of his entire life. 

He shrugged. “Watching TV.” 

“You’re watching an informercial for a turkey roaster,” she observed, a hand on her hip. 

“So?” he inquired, knowing full well what his friend meant. 

She shook her head, plopping down on the light blue sofa beside him. “Ian look, I know that you’re hurt right now. You’re angry and even a little bit lonely. I know you miss Audrina a _lot_. I also can’t imagine what you’re going through, but here’s what I do know: you’re one of my best friends and absolutely killing me to see you like this.” 

His blue eyes remained glued to the plasma television mounted on the wall across from him. “So?” 

She sucked in a breath. “ _So_ , you really need to make up with Anthony. I really feel like if you two teamed up, you could easily get Audrina back and-”

Slowly, his eyes ripped from the TV screen to the girl beside him. “Hell no, Mari! Do you not remember what he did to me?! To Audrina?! He fucking _asked_ for Kara to take her back and he never, ever mentioned it to me!” 

“I know, Ian,” Mari reasoned, “but-” 

“And you know what else, Mari? Here’s something I never told you: he told me he loved me, that he always has, that he _needs_ me. That he loved Audrina, too. I thought were were gonna be a family! And I had tried so hard before to push that idea out of my mind and I almost did. I…I almost did.” With that last word, Ian choked up and began to sob. An ugly, wracking sob that forced tears to stream down his cheeks and he pressed his palms into his closed eyes to hinder the flow. 

Sighing sadly, Mari wrapped her arms around Ian. “I’m so sorry, Ian. I’m so sorry that Anthony did this to you. But here’s the thing: Audrina _really_ needs you guys. And if you don’t act fast, you’re gonna lose her forever. I know for certain that you love that baby more than your own life and to be perfectly honest, you’re gonna need Anthony to get her back. As much as it pains me to say it to you right now, he _is_ her biological father.” 

Ian shook his head, sniffling. “Why would he ever forgive _me_?” 

Mari furrowed her brow in confusion. “What _you_ did to _him_?” 

Ian sighed, looking down at the dark hardwood floors beneath his feet and hiccuped. “Y-yeah…I punched him right before I left. And he begged me not to leave, b-but I was too angry to stay. I was afraid of what I might do.” 

Right about that time, the front swung open, revealing Sohinki. “We’ve heard just about enough!” 

“ _We_?” Ian questioned. 

“Yep!” Wes announced, bounding into the room after Sohinki. Flitz followed soon after him. Sohinki settled onto the couch on the other side of Mari. The door shut as Lasercorn and Joven ambled in slowly, hands interlocked. 

Ian frowned. “W-what?” 

“This is an intervention,” Mari explained. “We’ve all come together because we love you and we’re going to knock some sense into you.” 

“No,” Ian corrected, wiping his cheeks dry with his shirt sleeve, “I figured that much. I’m just wondering what’s going on over there.” He pointed at David and Joshua. 

Joven blushed, looking away as Lasercorn grinned at them. “We’re together, Ian! We have been for a long time.”  

Joven then added, “although, it’s quite possibly not the greatest and most ideal time to tell you, we thought it might…,” he trailed off, looking for the appropriate word, “it might help you see what it’s like to date a friend. You see, we’ve been together for a few months and we couldn’t be happier.” 

“And Mari and I,” Sohinki carried on, “have been together for almost two years. And we’re great.” Mari nodded, grinning at her boyfriend and squeezing his hand. 

Ian shrugged, clearing his throat. “Thanks for shoving all of this lovey-dovey shit down my throat. You’re all beautiful, I’m trash, and the person I love is also trash. But I don’t see how the fuck this is gonna get me my daughter back.” 

Flitz spoke up first. “It’s like Mari said, you gotta have Anthony with you if you stand any legal chance. I’m sorry, Ian, but it would be very, very difficult to have the state hand Audrina over to you if you don’t have any parental rights to her. Besides that, her baby mama’s not looking to get rid of her.” 

Ian nodded. “I guess.” 

“Would this be a wrong time to say that Flitz asked me out last night?” Wes blurted out, grinning. 

“Yes!” everyone around him replied, frustrated. 

Wes looked down. “S-sorry. I was just…excited. And we’re all together, so…,” he trailed off.

Lasercorn smiled. “It’s okay, man.  We forgive you.” 

Joven nodded. “Yeah, sure. Now, we just need Ian and Anthony to make up and all of Smosh Games will be happy.” 

Ian shook his head, feeling more tears prick to his eyes. “Yeah, well, I don’t really want anything to do with Anthony right now. And I don’t think he wants anything to do with me, either. All I want is my b-baby back. And I don’t see that happening anytime soon, do you guys?” 

Sohinki stood up quickly, crossing his arms. “With that attitude? Hell no. Look Ian, I know you’re upset and we all heard what went on, but come on, you love Anthony and I’m sure he loves you. So you’ve gotta get out of this slump, be the bigger man, and talk to him. We’re tired of seeing you like this.” 

Ian snickered quietly, sniffing away a few lone tears threatening to run down his face. “Well, if I’m bothering you guys that much, I’ll just get a fucking hotel room. I thought I could stay with friends that actually cared about me, but I guess I was wrong about that, too.” He bit his lip, getting up from the couch. 

Mari grabbed his arm swiftly. “Ian, wait-”

Ian shook his head sadly. “I appreciate you guys letting me stay here, but I…I really think I should be alone.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Sohinki said regretfully, “really, I-”

Ian opened the door to the guest room. “No, you’re fine. Seriously, thanks you guys. But I’m gonna get my stuff and just head over to the Holiday Inn or some other place. I’m honestly too messed up right now to be around you guys. You’re all so nice to me and I treat you like shit. I guess Anthony’s really rubbed off on me.” 

Sadly, his six friends watched as the wooden door creaked shut and a small sniffle echoed into the living room. 

As Ian packed his things, the rest of the Smosh Games crew whispered. 

“Did you call Anthony?” Lasercorn asked, giving Mari a serious laser-stare. 

She nodded. “He’s coming. Last I checked, he was at the airport. It’s okay if Ian leaves, we just need to make sure we know where he’s staying.” 

As the door creaked back open, the six of them went back to their seemingly normal stances. 

In Ian’s hands were his bags; on his face, a forlorn smile. “Thanks for letting me stay here, guys. Sorry I wasn’t the best guest ever.” 

Mari gave him a quick hug. “I wish you’d stay. But I understand.” 

Sohinki clapped him on the back. “Come back anytime, man.” 

Wes and Flitz gave him a simultaneous, quick hug. “Call us if you need us, bro,” Flitz announced. 

“Yep,” Wes piped up, “don’t even hesitate.” 

Lasercorn and Joven then enveloped him in a double bear hug. “That goes for us, too,” Joven said.

Ian took a deep breath, relieved that he really did have such great friends. But as he walked out of the apartment building to his car, the only thought on his mind was Anthony. 

And that he was missing his most important friend of all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO UPDATES IN TWO DAYS? WHAAAA? It’s a bit of a filler, buuuuuuut something big’s about to happen and the story is ALMOST OVER! Whaaaaaa? But for real, this has been my favorite story I’ve ever written and you guys are literally the best audience ever. Thanks, so much. I’ll try to update soon. :P   
>  Ooh, also if you wanna stalk me and find out what I’m doing and when updates will be, and to ask me any questions or to just talk to me, follow me on Twitter @smoshdayparade. You can also see me debate with other Smosh fandom members, fangirl like crazy over Smosh, Ianthony, bands, and Willa Holland and see what’s going on in my real life. It would also be cool if you’d follow me on Tumblr: ianthony-allover. I don’t post a lot of my own stuff bc I don’t have time, but I reblog a butt ton of Ianthony and other cool stuff. One more thing! I make Ianthony fan videos on my Youtube account, which is also WalkingonFirex. Okay, shameless plugs over now. Thanks a ton, you guys. Your feedback honestly means the whole world to me. :)


	17. But I Still Love You!

Once Anthony arrived at LAX, he immediately called an Uber to take him to his hotel. He wanted to see Ian greatly, but he was also exhausted. As soon as his small suitcase was loaded in the seat beside him and he was buckled in, he pulled out his phone to text Mari. 

_I’m in LA. now, but I’m gonna turn in for the day. Checking into my hotel now, see you tomorrow._

Anthony wasn’t sure as to why Mari had recommended the Holiday Inn on Highland Avenue. Not only were there much closer hotels to his friend’s homes and the Smosh Games Headquarters, _but_ Anthony was indeed a very rich man. He could have easily stayed at a more ritzy hotel and he’d kind of wanted to after the last few weeks he’d had. He also wasn’t sure what it was exactly that he was doing in LA. Sure, he wanted Ian back. Sure, he wanted Audrina back. Those two things were definitely true. However, he didn’t have a clue in hell how to successfully execute either of those truly difficult tasks. 

The wide automatic doors opened and Anthony’s sneaker-clad feet stepped into the hotel. He spotted the check-in desk to the left of the lobby and ambled over to it. An elderly lady with a bright pink suitcase and a high wig was at the very front, very fussily asking about pets. An impossibly long, impatient line of tired travelers stretched out behind her. Anthony took a deep breath. He knew that this line was going to take some time.

He stepped in line and looked up, seeing that he was behind a short man with brown hair. One that was eerily familiar. In fact, he looked a bit like Ian. 

“I-Ian?” Anthony whispered, barely audibly. 

The man, clearly invested in his phone and not what Anthony had to say, stayed planted in his spot.   
Mustering all of his courage, Anthony tapped briskly on the man’s shoulder. With that, he turned around. 

To both Anthony’s relief and chagrin, the man _was_ Ian, which explained why Mari had been so hellbent on him staying at this very specific hotel. 

Immediately, Ian’s mouth dropped. “A-Anthony?” he asked, stuttering. 

“Hey…,” Anthony trailed off, running a hand through his hair. “How…How are you?” 

Ian shrugged. “Not too great. How about you?” 

Anthony frowned. “Awful. What are we doing, Ian? Why are we doing this to each other?” 

His best friend made an angered face. “I don’t know, Anthony. Maybe it has to do with the fact that you sent _my_ daughter away.” 

The _my_ that came spitting out of Ian’s mouth really stung Anthony and he bit his lip. “That’s…I know. I’m so sorry, Ian. I made a huge fucking mistake and if I could take it back, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But I can’t. All I can do is do my best to make it up to you. And Audrina. I know we can get her back, we just-”

Ian shook his head, stopping Anthony mid-sentence. “You know what, Anthony? I really don’t want to hear it. You’ve honestly done enough.” 

“Ian, please,” Anthony protested, “I know I fucked up. I fucked up a thousand times. And I fucked you over in the process. But I still love you. A lot. And I know you still love me. We can work things out and get her back. I just know we can.” 

“Why would I listen to you?” Ian asked through gritted teeth, eyes glued to the floor beneath his feet, “you’ve taken away everything good in my life. I’m not going to trust you, Anthony. Not now, not ever.” He looked up, swallowing. “And that _really_ fucking sucks because for a long time, you were the _only_ person I trusted. I guess that goes to show you can’t really trust anyone. Not your best friend, not the love of your life. Because no one really cares for you. They may say they do, but then they go behind your back and fucking stab you.” 

“Ian-”

“I’ll get Audrina back, but it _will_ not be because of you,” Ian spat, “and I don’t want her around you at all. I don’t give two shits of a _fuck_ if you are her biological dad. Both of her parents are scum and I will not sit idly by and let them fuck her over they way they did me.” 

With that, Ian turned around, shoulders hunched and slightly trembling. Anthony wanted to run straight up to his room and have another good cry, but there was just one problem: the line was nowhere _near_ moving. In fact, the elderly lady with the pink suitcase was still at the front desk, droning on to a very tired-looking receptionist. He silently thanked the universe for not having anyone stand behind him in line.

“I’ve apologized,” Anthony said out loud, not necessarily to Ian. “That’s all I can do.” He sighed deeply. 

Suddenly, Ian turned around, glaring at him. “You honestly don’t get it, do you?” 

Anthony frowned and swallowed, awaiting for Ian to continue. 

“I guess you don’t,” Ian muttered. He then went on to explain the meaning of his words. “Anthony, I loved you. I’ve _always_ loved. Hell, I still do. But I also love Audrina and I love her as much as I love you. And I want you to know that that is a lot. My whole heart belongs to the two of you. I hate it. I fucking hate it. Because she’s gone and it’s because of you. You basically made me choose between the two most important people in my life and you acted like it was no big deal. You tried to _reason_ with me! I understand that you weren’t as into being a dad as I was and that was fine, but it literally _tear_ sme apart to know that you could do that to me. But it doesn’t hurt as much as living without _both_ of you. She’s gone and she’s gone because of you and that meant I had to be gone, too.” 

Anthony felt tears prick to his eyes at Ian’s confession. It killed him to hear how much he’d hurt him, especially when he loved him so much. 

“I want so badly to forgive you,” Ian admitted. “So badly. But I can’t, not when Audrina’s out there with someone that doesn’t love her, doesn’t appreciate her the way that she deserves. She has _neglected-child syndrome_ and she’s back with the woman that caused it in the first place. And after all of that progress, too.

“And even more than that, Anthony, I was so happy the night before it happened. You loved me, I loved you. We both loved Audrina and we had our house and Smosh and everything was perfect for a while. I know I shouldn’t have expected much, but I wanted to. I wanted to so much. Everything I’d ever wanted was true. I guess I wanted so much for it to be my reality that I didn’t think of all of the possible disasters it could cause. That’s on me, but everything else is on you. I love you so, _so_ much, Anthony, but I can’t do this. I can’t be around you knowing that you could turn on me at any second because I’ll keep forgiving you. I’ll keep taking you back because I’m too weak not to.” He took a long, deep breath. “I think we should end Smosh.” 

Anthony gasped, his eyes widening. “Ian, we can’t! That’s our entire income! And even more, so what about the fans? If we quit, we’re going to hurt so many people!” 

Ian shrugged. “I think it’s time I started worrying about my own happiness.” 

With that, Ian gripped the handle of his suitcase and rolled it to the front desk, receiving his key and never looking back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! This story is almost over and because of that, I was thinking about holding a contest. The contest would be simple: just write a one shot involving the characters and situations from this story somehow. That’s the only requirement. The best one shot would be added on to the end of this story and I would write an Ianthony one shot for the winner. I might give prizes for the second and third place winners, too. Would anyone be interested in that? If so, leave me a comment and I’ll decide if I want to do it or not. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> -Kalina :D


	18. This is Impossible!

Teary-eyed, Ian lay sprawled out on his back in the bed of his hotel room. He was certainly reeling from his emotional encounter with Anthony, but he was still determined to do whatever it took to get Audrina back. Thus, he had his laptop in his lap and he was typing up a generic email to send to different lawyers in the LA and Sacramento areas. 

Ian was a writer. He'd spent many hours over the years, poring over a script for Smosh, sometimes wishing to bang his head through the computer screen due to writer's block. However, he always somehow managed to come up with something. Usually, this heavily involved Anthony. 

Now, he was sitting blankly behind a computer screen again, but this time, there was no Anthony to help him get inspired, to form words. He felt a pang in his chest at the thought of his lost love and their conversation in the lobby, His eyes began to sting with unshed tears, but he blinked them away. He was done crying. He had to get his daughter back and sitting around crying about it wouldn't solve a damn thing. 

He sat back, swallowing, and reaching for his cell phone. He was going to call his friend, Valerie, who just happened to be a paralegal at a small, private firm in LA. He and Anthony had met her years ago when the three of them had all lived in Sacramento. When she'd met her husband Zach, she'd moved with him to Los Angeles for his new job. It was a little late, but he knew that once she heard his situation, she wouldn't mind at all. 

"Hello?" she answered on the third ring. Surprisingly, she didn't sound tired. 

"Valerie, it's Ian," he said, shutting his laptop and relaxing onto a pillow.

She laughed. "Dude, I know. I have caller ID. What's up, Ian?" 

He paused, clearing his throat. "I...Well, I'm in a very odd situation at the moment and I was   
hoping that you could give me some legal advice." He shoved his laptop to the foot of the bed.

It was Valerie's turn to pause. "Ian, are you...Are you in trouble? Did you do something wrong?" 

"No, no!" Ian replied quickly. "No, it's just...," he trailed off, "it's a custody issue." 

Swiftly, Ian filled Valerie in on what had transpired over the past few months. She listened silently. 

“So anyway,” Ian said, beginning his last sentence, “for me to get Audrina back, what do I need to do?” 

It was totally quiet on the end of the line for a long time. For Ian, it felt like hours. “V-Val?” he whispered. 

“Yeah, I’m here,” she replied, “I’m sorry, Ian. It’s just…It’s a lot to take in.” 

He sighed. “It’s…,” he trailed off. Finally, he just agreed. “I know.” He had a bad feeling of what she was going to say. 

Valerie took a deep breath. “Here’s the thing, Ian. I’m going to be totally honest with you because you’re my friend and I don’t want you to get your hopes up over nothing, okay?” 

“Okay,” he whispered. 

“From what you’ve told me, I’ve gathered that this little girl-”

“Audrina,” Ian interjected, “her name is Audrina.” 

Valerie cleared her throat. “Right. Audrina. Anyway, Audrina is the biological child of Anthony and this Kara woman. In the event that you could prove that she was being mistreated by Kara, you might be able to get DHS to investigate. And I say might because Sacramento is a big city and I’m sure that their caseworkers are already stretched thin. And anyway, Kara could easily show that Audrina’s in good hands-”

“But she’s been neglected! Valerie, the girl doesn’t show any emotion at all. Ever. She doesn’t smile, she doesn’t frown, she doesn’t cry, she doesn’t throw tantrums. She just sits there!” 

Valerie paused again. “Through extensive monitoring, it’s very possible that one could prove that. But it would probably take years-”

“Years?!” Ian exploded, “by then, it’ll be too late!” 

His friend sighed on the other end of the phone. “I know that, Ian. But the truth is, you’re not biologically obligated to her and nor does Sacramento DHS have the resources to fully accept her case. My advice to you would be to get in touch with Anthony. He can definitely make a case. But I’m afraid that you more than likely cannot.” 

Ian sat back, knocking his head against the frame of his hotel bed. His head hit hard, but he shook it off. He could feel more and more tears creeping down his cheeks. His fears were coming true. 

Audrina was truly gone from him and there was nothing he could do about it. 

As if she could sense his thoughts, Valerie spoke up again, “Don’t give up yet, Ian. Just talk to Anthony, get a lawyer, and build a case. Try to remember everything that Kara did that was remotely detrimental at all.” 

Ian sighed. “Yeah, okay.” 

Her words were hitting Ian hard. For the child that he loved so very much wasn’t his, not really. She was Anthony’s. He could never get her back without him, which he knew was impossible now. Anthony simply didn’t love them enough to even try. And that hurt more than anything else he’d ever experienced.

“Ian?” 

He took a deep breath, choking back a sob. “I-I’m here.” 

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern. 

He nodded, though she couldn’t see him. “I’m fine. Thanks, Val. I…I really appreciate it.” 

She was quiet for a moment before saying, “well…All right. If you need anything at all, don’t   
hesitate to call me. And if you need a lawyer, I can definitely connect you with a good one.” 

Ian almost snorted. “Right. I’ll…I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

“Okay. Good night, Ian. And good luck.” 

“Bye, Valerie. Thanks again,” Ian concluded the call and pressed end on his phone. 

He laid down on his pillow, tears leaking from his eyes. He’d sworn he wouldn’t cry again, but now, he felt utterly and completely stuck. The only way to get Audrina back was through Anthony, which just simply wasn’t attainable. He’d lost Audrina and he’d lost Anthony and there was absolutely no way to get either of them back. 

He was truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup, guys! All right, so here’s the deal: I haven’t updated in a long time and I am really sorry about that. I graduated from high school on May 15th and I had to turn my school-issued laptop in. My family does have a desktop computer, but after typing on a laptop for so long, I just couldn’t get into it. Luckily, this week, I finally purchased a laptop of my own and voilà! I will be writing A LOT. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you guys get tired of seeing stuff from me! However, there are only a small amount of chapters left and it will be finished at least by July. I’m going to be sad, but I’ll still be writing Ianthony, don’t worry. 
> 
> Now, about the contest! It’s pretty simple. Basically, you need to write a one shot involving Ian, Anthony, and Audrina. It can be set in the future, the past, or the present. I don’t care. You can also include any other characters you want. It can be any genre and of any rating. The only requirement is that it must involve Ian, Anthony, and Audrina. You must post it on Wattpad, Fanfiction, or Archive of Our Own. Make sure you let me know that you are entering. It must be finished and uploaded on or before July 4, 2015. The winner will get a personal Ianthony one shot of any kind written by me and a shout out on all of my writing platforms, my Twitter, and my Tumblr. If you have any questions, you may contact me on Wattpad, Fanfiction, Archive of Our Own, or my Twitter: @smoshdayparade. Good luck, everyone! :)


	19. I'll Do Anything!

Anthony hesitantly raised his fist to the door of Apartment 212. After a hellish night of guiltily tossing and turning, Mari had yet again called and woken him up. However, this time, he was truly thankful. She’d given him a very important and useful address and as soon as he’d scrounged up some clothes and brushed his teeth, he was out the door and headed to the Easttown Apartments. If Mari was right (and she always was) this was the key to getting Audrina — and Ian — back for good. 

Taking a deep breath, he rapped lightly, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. He stood outside for a good moment before he tapped more loudly on the door. He jammed his hands into his pockets as the door swung open. 

There stood Kara, the ‘mother’ of his child and the bane of his existence. She looked much different from the day she’d dropped Audrina off. Her hair was clean and combed into a bun, she wore makeup, and she wore a jacket and skirt with pumps. She looked professional and almost…happy. 

She glared at him. “Anthony…? What are you doing here?” 

He gulped in a breath quickly and before she could stop him, stepped into the apartment. His eyes scanned the room for any signs of the little girl that he and Ian had grown to love over the past few months. He thought solemnly to himself that she’d be a year old soon.

“What are you doing here?” Kara repeated, clearly growing annoyed with him. 

Still looking around, he answered, “isn’t it obvious? I want my daughter back.” 

Kara snorted. “Your daughter? You mean our daughter? And you can forget about that, Anthony. Do you know how much government aid I get from being a young, single mother? Do you think I’d just give that up?” 

He stared at her for a moment, glaring. “That. That’s what you’re worried about losing. Some fucking food stamps and WIC? That is such shit. Does Audrina mean nothing to you?!” He threw his hands up and began to pace. 

She rolled her eyes. “If you’re gonna insult me, get the fuck out of my apartment. I don’t have to listen to this shit.” 

“Where’s Audrina?” he asked bluntly. 

She shrugged. “Why should I tell you? All you’ve done is barge into my house, uninvited, I might add, and disrespected me.” 

“Fine,” Anthony said, gritting his teeth, “will you please direct me to my daughter?” 

She snorted. “Sure, thing.” She directed him to a door down the small hallway. “You know, It’s a good thing that you’re here and not Ian. Because if he said that, I’d just laugh.” 

Anthony gave her a hard look before turning the knob. “Really? Because Ian was more of a father to her than I ever was and ever could be. And you know what else?” he asked, opening the door, “he’s twice the mother you could ever dream of being.” 

Kara quirked an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed at Anthony’s words. “Who the fuck are you to say that? You don’t know me at all!” 

He snorted. “Yeah? Well, here’s what I do know: you got pregnant, had the baby and neglected her, left your kid with total strangers, took her back when she finally got settled, and now you’re only keeping her to uphold your government assistance… and if I didn’t know better, it’s also just to spite me.” He shook his head one more time before opening the door and letting himself into Audrina’s nursery. 

It was bland, but he was glad to see that it was functional. There was a crib, a changing table, and some drawers, which he hoped contain clean clothing. His heart absolutely broke when he looked into the crib and saw Audrina. 

Her eyes were shut tight and her fists were balled at her sides. She looked tired, physically and mentally. 

Anthony wanted to cry, but he fought back the tears and whispered to his daughter: “Aud-Audrina? It’s me…It’s Anthony. I guess you could call me Daddy now, considering I am, biologically, that is. We both know Ian’s your dad in every way that counts…,” he trailed off, swallowing. 

Audrina’s eyes opened and she looked up at Anthony with what could only be categorized as shock. 

“I am so, so sorry I let this happen to you,” Anthony apologized, rubbing at his eyes. “It was wrong and you didn’t deserve it at all. I was a coward and I let petty things get in the way of our happiness…,” he trailed off, dropping his voice down to a whisper, “but I promise you, Audrey, that I’ll get you out of here. I’ll get you back and you and me and Ian, we’re gonna be a family. If it’s the last thing I ever do, I’ll do it.” 

He took a deep breath and reached into the crib, running his thumb along the outside of Audrina’s hand. She instantly grabbed it and held it, looking up at him hopefully. 

“You done?” Anthony heard from the doorway. He had to try his absolute hardest to not roll his eyes at the woman behind him.

Anthony ignored Kara, instead he looked back down at Audrina. His heart broke yet again when he saw tiny tears creeping out of her blue eyes. Blue eyes that reminded him so much of Ian’s. Tears began to pool in his eyes, too, as he gently squeezed Audrina’s hand. 

“Anthony!” Kara snapped. 

He sighed in disgust before leaning down and moving a few strands of hair out of his daughter’s face, marveling at how much her hair had grown in the short time in which she’d been gone. He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead, trying his best to not drop any tears onto her. “We’ll get you back,” he whispered, “I promise.” 

With a heavy heart, he turned back to the mother of his child and reluctantly followed her back to the front room. 

She flashed him a sarcastic smile. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you, Anthony, but I think it’s time that we part ways. For good.” 

Anthony swallowed. “No, I need to have another word with you.” With that, he settled down on her sofa. 

Kara rolled her eyes again and placed a hand on her hip. She made no moves to sit down. 

“What do you want?” Anthony asked finally, eyeing her intensely. 

She furrowed her brows. “What do I want? What do you mean? I just said I want you out of my house, didn’t I?” 

He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I mean what do you want for Audrina?

Kara snorted, tossing her long chestnut hair over her shoulder. “I don’t want shit from you. You’ve done quite enough. What I do want, however, is for you and your boyfriend,” she sneered, “to leave me and my daughter the fuck alone.”

Anthony glared at her. “For the last time, she’s my daughter, too. And I want my daughter back. Look, I’ll get you whatever you want: money, a house, a vacation, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I just want her back.” His voice broke a little as he finished talking. 

“Really?” she asked, snickering. “That’s quite an offer. But it’s like I said, I don’t want anything from you. At all. So you might as well leave.” 

The older half of Smosh opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could, the front door swung open. 

A blond man in khaki shorts and a plaid shirt stepped inside the apartment and walked toward Kara. “Sup, babe?” he asked, kissing the side of her head. 

“Harrison!” she exclaimed, hugging him to her, “I didn’t know you were coming over today.” 

He nodded before looking over at the sofa and eyeing Anthony skeptically. “Who’s this?” 

“O-oh, him?” she stuttered. “That’s…that’s just Anthony.” 

Harrison gave him another hard look before softening. “Whoa. Dude, that’s Anthony Padilla. From Smosh!” 

Anthony nodded. “Yep, that’s me. And you are…?” 

“I’m Harrison,” he said, trotting over to sit beside him. “And Kara’s my girlfriend.” 

Now, this was news. Anthony wasn’t surprised that she had a boyfriend; she was beautiful. However, he was surprised that she could keep a boyfriend; her personality was not beautiful. At all. 

“How do you know her?” Harrison asked. 

Anthony smirked, scrutinizing Kara, who looked as though she might turn blue from worry. “Well, it just so happens that I’m that beautiful little girl in the next room’s father. And I’ve come to pick her up.” 

Harrison stared at him, confused. “But I thought Audrina’s dad was…was dead?” He looked over at Kara, searching for an answer. 

“Well, I…you see-”

An idea hit Anthony and before Kara could explain herself, he expressed it to Harrison. “You see, Harrison, I’m gay and I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a while. We wanted to have a child, but we obviously can’t have one alone by ourselves. Kara was kind enough to carry Audrina for us and she’s also been watching her for a few weeks while my boyfriend was in the hospital. He’s out now and he’s perfectly healthy. So, I’ve come to get her and take her home. For good. Now, wasn’t that kind of her?” 

Harrison softened. “Oh. Wow, Kara! That was so, so sweet of you. I just don’t know why you didn’t say anything to me about it.” 

She gritted her teeth, glaring at Anthony. Finally, she smiled at Harrison and nodded. “It…It’s a delicate situation, you know. Ian and Anthony are really famous with Smosh and all and didn’t want it getting out.” 

“Ian’s your boyfriend?!” Harrison exclaimed. “That’s awesome! I’m so damn happy for you guys.” 

Anthony grinned. “Thanks, dude. It’s great to see at least one person that watches our videos accepts us. But don’t say anything just yet, please. We’re still trying to iron out the kinks.” 

Harrison nodded. “Of course, of course! Yeah, I will. I’m sure it’ll all work out. You need help carrying Audrina’s stuff to your car?” 

“Sure!” Anthony exclaimed, “just give me a second. I wanna talk to Kara for a moment.” 

The blond man nodded once more before disappearing into Audrina’s room. 

Anthony smiled at Kara. “I like him. I like him a lot.”

Kara rolled her eyes, but finally just stopped and looked at him, sighing. “I love Harrison. I actually, really do. He’d never forgive me if he knew that I gave her up. And in all honesty, it’s clear you guys really do love her. I don’t have the patience that a child like her requires and frankly, Harrison and I will have more children, so go on, take her back. Go be with Ian. Audrina needs her. Just…Anthony, take care of our girl, okay?” He was not only surprised to hear her words, as it was very out of character for her, but also to see that there were tears in her eyes. 

Impulsively, Anthony wrapped his arms around her. “I promise. And you know what? Come visit her some day,” he whispered in her ear. He pulled away. “Just don’t ever tell Ian or the Smosh Games crew that I hugged you. You know, you might actually be a decent person.” 

Kara chuckled. “Gee, thanks. Now, go. Audrina needs you.” 

And with that, Anthony went to get his daughter. 

For good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it’s coming to an end. Two more chapters to go. And those that are entering the contest, keep in mind that your one shots are due on Saturday, July 4, 2015!


	20. This is Unreal!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse the cheesiness of this chapter. I initially didn’t intend that and it’s totally not my style but I was feeling very emotional whilst writing it. Please see the end of the chapter for the winner of the contest!

“No, it’s fine, Audri. Just…Just go get a towel. It’ll be okay, I promise.” 

“O-okay, Daddy.” 

Anthony put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “What happened this time?” 

Ian sighed, bending down and picking up the pieces of glass on their tiled floor. “It’s nothing…Audrina and I were playing tag and she knocked this vase over. It’s broken, but we can fix it.” 

Having picked up all of the glass and flowers, Ian stood up and tossed the glass into the trash can beside a counter in the kitchen. He placed the flowers on the counter. Looking up, he noticed Audrina running back, her light blue dress flying around her as she sprinted. “I’m sorry!” she huffed, settling the white bathroom towel over the spilled water.

“It’s okay,” Anthony said quietly, kneeling down beside her. 

Audrina jumped into his arms and he hugged her close to him, standing up and walking over to where Ian stood. 

“He’s right,” Ian replied, pressing a kiss onto Audrina’s forehead. “We can always get a new vase. That one only costed a dollar, sweetheart. Your papa is frugal.” He gave Anthony a playful look. 

She giggled. “What’s frugal?”

Ian shook his head, tickling his daughter. He opened his mouth to reply, but out of nowhere, there was a gust of strong wind and Audrina gripped onto him tightly. Before he could even fathom what was happening, the front door to their house swung open and in stepped Kara. 

Except…it wasn’t Kara. 

Her hair was long, wild and flying madly in the wind. She stepped inside and instantly, the floor started to shake. Audrina cried out and as much as Ian tried to hold her and keep them both steady, he lost his balance and they both plummeted to the floor beneath them. To his relief, he saw Anthony, concerned, lean down and pick Audrina up. But to his horror, Anthony, as if in a trance, marched right over to Kara and handed their daughter to her. As much as he tried to scream and stand up, he was completely paralyzed to his spot on the floor. 

Kara raised the little girl over her head and cackled manically as Anthony only stood in the middle of the living room, completely stoic and staring at her. Audrina was completely blank, as well, save for the desperate pleading in her eyes. 

With one last laugh, Kara was gone and so was Audrina. 

Ian started awake, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. “It was a dream,” he said out loud, “just..a dream.” 

Heart hammering in his chest, he threw his legs off of the bed and shakily placed his feet on the ground. Like a sleepwalker, he ambled off to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. He collected a small amount of cold water into cupped palms and splashed it onto his face. After taking one of the white hand towels from the rack, he studied his reflection in the mirror. He absolutely despised what he saw. 

His blue eyes were red and bloodshot from lack of sleep and constant crying. His face was pale and he was startled to see that his cheekbones were obnoxiously more prominent, probably due to the fact that he’d lost a good amount of weight quickly. With the constant worry for Audrina, he oftentimes forgot to eat. Other times, he simply didn’t feel like it. His hair was growing insanely long and his beard was messy, thick, and unkempt. The loss of Audrina and Anthony had taken a toll on him greater than anything than he’d ever experienced. 

Ian sighed, coughing and exiting the bathroom to make some tea. But before he could make his way over to the hotel room’s coffee pot and basket of coffee and tea, there was a knock at his door. 

Confused, he slid a t-shirt over his head and sauntered over to the door. Against his better judgement, he grasped the doorknob and yanked it open. He wasn’t surprised to see Mari standing behind it. 

His bubbly friend was beaming brightly and had her hands folded together in front of her. “Ian!” she exclaimed. 

He sighed, opening the door wider. “Hey, Mari. What’s up?” 

Without warning, she grabbed his hand and jerked him out of the doorway. “Come on! There’s something you’ve just got to see!” She began to run and Ian had to jog to keep up with her, so as not to fall, and his hotel room door swung shut. Too bad he’d left his room key in the actual room. 

“Mari!” he yelped, running after her, down the hallway, “wh-what’s going on?” 

She did not reply, sidestepping an elderly couple that could do nothing but look on, completely puzzled. Instead, she stopped at the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. Mari and Ian stepped into the elevator and with that, she let go of his sweaty hand and leaned against the wall. 

“Where are we going?!” he demanded, glaring at her. 

Mari looked up at him, still grinning maniacally. “You’ll see.” 

Ian sighed. “Mari, I swear if this is another one of your stupid ploys to get Anthony and I back together, I’ll-”

Before he could finish, the elevator dinged, signaling that they had reached their destination. 

“Hold that thought,” she instructed, grabbing his hand yet again. With that, she took off running. 

Instead of protesting, Ian ran along with her, ignoring the fact that this odd situation was akin to a broken record. 

Straight through the lobby they went, garnering looks from both the workers and the other guests. They then sprinted straight through the automatic glass double doors and outside to the parking lot. 

Immediately, Ian noticed Anthony’s car. He wasn’t stupid and after living with Anthony for so long, he would clearly recognize the vehicle he’d often ridden in. Even more so, Anthony was staying at the same hotel that Ian was. “Nice try, Mari,” he muttered, “but this isn’t much of a surprise.” 

She snorted. “Right. Well, my job ends here. Have fun.” Without so much as a wave or goodbye, she turned around and began walking in the opposite direction of the parking lot. 

Ian sighed. He didn’t have a lot of options here. For one, he’d left his room key in his hotel room and would therefore have to go through the struggles of the front desk if he wanted back in. For another, he also knew how very stubborn Anthony could be and if Ian didn’t speak to him now, he wouldn’t go away until he did. Hence, he took a deep breath, moved his hair out of his face, and trudged forward. 

It took a moment for Ian to spot Anthony, as the car was parked away from Ian and Anthony was perched on the hood. 

“Anthony,” Ian called out, slowing his steps. 

Slowly, Anthony hopped off of the hood of the car. 

The shorter man began to grow impatient. “What do you want?” he asked, “why is it that you made Mari come and get me?” 

Anthony just stood there, his back to Ian and his arms crossed in front of him. “I knew you’d never see me if it was me asking.” 

Ian frowned as Anthony turned around, a huge grin on his face. And when Ian saw what Anthony had his arms crossed over, he began to smile, too. 

Because there she was. His baby girl, his entire world. Audrina Iris Hecox-Padilla. She was back. 

Before he could even think twice, he was running over to them, tears immediately filling his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but he found that he could not; he was too overcome with emotion. 

Still smiling softly, Anthony pressed a quick kiss to Audrina’s hair before putting her down on the asphalt below them. She looked up at Ian curiously and promptly began to toddle over to him. After only a few steps she fell, but she did not cry. Instead, Ian picked her up and held her tightly against him. 

“S-since when c-can she walk?” he stuttered, still crying softly. 

Anthony shook his head in disbelief, clearly stunned. “I-I don’t know. I assumed she’d crawl to you. She hasn’t taken steps since I got her back.” Then he chuckled, smiling at Ian. “I guess she just really missed her daddy.” 

Ian didn’t have to express how much her daddy had missed her. 

“H-how?” Ian asked, “when? Wh-what happened?” 

Anthony chuckled. “Yesterday. Mari found Kara’s apartment for me and I just showed up and demanded her back.” 

Ian squeezed Audrina tighter, running a hand through her hair. “Just like that? She gave her back just because you told her to?” 

The taller man paused before shaking his head. “Apparently our baby mama has a boyfriend and actually, he’s a pretty cool guy.”  Ian snorted. “Really now?” 

“Yeah,” Anthony replied. “And she doesn’t want him to know that she pawned her baby off on us for so long. More so, she wants to have children with him. Not us.” 

Ian gritted his teeth. “So just because Audri’s not her new boyfriend’s child, she doesn’t want her?” 

Anthony nodded. 

“Lucky us,” Ian muttered, kissing Audrina’s forehead. “So how do we know she’s not gonna come back and try to take her away again?”

Nodding his head, Anthony turned to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door. Ian watched him as he kneeled over and rummaged around for a moment. He was still angry with him, but he was also still in love with him and could not ignore how good his backside looked in dark wash skinny jeans. 

Anthony stood up and shut the door, a document of some sort in his right hand. He held it up for Ian to see. 

“Assuming I know what that is…?” Ian asked, trailing off. 

Anthony grinned. “This is a rushed document stating that Kara has signed over all parental rights to me, per the request of your friend Valerie.” 

Ian raised his eyebrows. “Valerie?” Then he smiled. He’d have to call and thank her later. But then, another thought crossed his mind. 

“So she’s yours?” he asked sheepishly, squeezing her to him. 

“Yes,” Anthony replied, “but I talked to Valerie again this morning. Adoption is very, very easy when a) there is a single parent and b) when the other parent has signed off all parental rights. Which, in this situation, is the case of both.” 

Ian’s breath caught in his throat. “So…?” 

Anthony gave him a hard look. “So she can be yours, too. If you want her to be.” 

Ian chuckled. “Of course I want her to be.” 

“You know that’s going to involve…,” he trailed off, “that’s going to involve us living together and probably-”

“Being a couple,” Ian finished. “Right.” 

Biting his lip, Anthony stepped forward. “Ian, I am so, so sorry for what happened. I’m sorry that I let Audrina go, I’m sorry that I was such an idiot, and I’m sorry  
that I made you leave. I’m sorry that I made you feel so awful. I’m sorry that Audrina had to be away from us. I promise that if you’ll just give me one more chance, you won’t regret. I swear that I’ll never, ever hurt you or Audrina again. I love you both so, so much. Just. Please…Come home to me.” 

Ian felt tears spring to his eyes once again. He felt as though his head was spinning. He’d woken up this morning without Anthony and Audrina with the belief that it was hopeless to even think about getting them back and now here they were. Back with him. He wanted nothing more than to be with them forever, but the real problem was that he wasn’t sure if he could trust Anthony. He’d trusted him before and it had cost him everything. However, Anthony had clearly worked hard the past few days to fix things and the words that he spoke seemed to truly come sincerely from his heart. What it boiled down to though, was what was best for Audrina. 

“O-okay,” Ian agreed, “I will. But you’ve got to keep those promises. Forever. And you’ve got to remember that this is a huge responsibility. We have to feed, clothe, and care for her for eighteen years or more than likely even longer. She’s got to come before Smosh and everything and everyone else because she belongs to us and has no one else. She’s going to have school in a few years and then we’ll have PTA and parent/teacher conferences and we’ll have to get involved with whatever it is she likes: sports, dance, art, music, doesn’t matter. So there will be times when Smosh will have to be put on the back burner just because Audrina is our baby now.” 

“I know,” Anthony said, grinning. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Ian took a deep breath, adjusting Audrina into a more comfortable position. “And if you and I are going to be together, we’re going to be together. We’re going to be out to our parents, extended family, friends, and most importantly, our fans. We’re not going to hide behind fake dates or girlfriends and it’s nowhere near an open relationship. It’s going to be normal, monogamous, and real. You got that?” 

Anthony nodding, smiling more. “Yes, I do. And like I said, I wouldn’t have it any other way at all. Now, I’ve actually been thinking about that.” Again, he opened his car door, placing the paper from before back in and from what Ian could tell, he was taking something else out. He shut the door and swung his arm behind his back so that Ian couldn’t see what he held. 

“You have?” Ian asked. “How so?” 

Anthony gave Ian a toothy grin. “Well, Valerie said that even though it is highly likely that the court will give you adoption of Audrina, there’s one thing that will make it smoother and faster, too.” 

Ian frowned. “So…What is that?” 

“If the parent looking to adopt is married to the biological parent,” Anthony said with a smile. 

Ian was astonished. “Wh-what? Anthony, I’m…We’re-”

Anthony chuckled, removing his hand from his back. “So I guess that means we’ll have to get married.” 

The shorter man watched, completely dazed, seeing the small black box in Anthony’s hands. “I…Anthony? What are you-”

To his utter amazement, Anthony then dropped down to one knee and opened the box. 

And then there it was. A silver ring with a thin line of small diamonds running across the time. It was a diamond engagement ring, but even still, it was masculine enough for Ian. 

Ian gasped as Anthony began to speak nervously. “Ian, you’ve been my best friend for over fifteen years. You know me better than anyone else in the world and I  
love you. I love you so much and I love Audrina, too. You’re the best father I could ask for her and the best partner for me, too. I want us to be together and I want us to  
be a family. I’m sorry this is so corny and quick, but I don’t want to wait anymore. So Ian…Will you marry me?” 

Ian laughed, shaking his head. 

Anthony’s face fell. “O-oh. I understand. I’m sorry that I-”

“No!” Ian exclaimed, “I’m not saying no. I’m just laughing because I can’t believe it. Anthony, of course I’ll marry you,” he covered Audrina’s ears with one arm, “you dumbass. I love you, too.” 

Anthony grinned as Ian dropped his left arm. With a shaking hand, Anthony slipped the ring on Ian’s ring finger. 

“Good thing they just legalized gay marriage everywhere,” Anthony said, getting to his feet. 

Ian snorted. “It’s been legal in California for a while now, dude.” With that, he pulled Anthony to him and hugged him tightly. Audrina was slightly in the way, but Ian knew that he could handle it. 

“I love you so much,” Anthony whispered. 

“I love you, too,” Ian replied, leaning in to kiss him softly. They only kissed for a moment, as Audrina was between them. However, when they pulled away, they were greeted with something wonderful. 

Because when they looked down Audrina wasn’t just smiling. 

She was laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so now onto the contest results! Now, let me just say that I was completely shocked that so many people wanted to enter and they were all so wonderful. It made me so very happy that you guys wanted to create your own stories based on something I just threw together lol. Anyway, I feel as though it is only fair that I go through and say a little something about each fic. Once that is over, I will announce the winner and runner up. I may give a prize to the runner up, though I have no idea what it would be. Any ideas? Please go find each and every one of these fics and give them some love. They really deserve it! The contestants were:  
> -Kateiplier (Wattpad & Archive of Our Own) with One Happy Family. I loved this one due to how truly domestic it was. I felt like I was just peeking into an afternoon with Hecox-Padillas and it was fantastic! Their banter was so real and I could really imagine the real life Ian and Anthony behaving the exact way. Also, Anthony playing with Audrina was so cute!  
> -Sunny-Smile (Wattpad) with Finally in Place. This one was about Ian and Anthony’s wedding and omg am I a sucker for weddings! The fact that this one just happened to have my OTP getting hitched just made it all the better. I loved Josh’s character and I also thought that making Mari and Sohinki’s daughter the flower girl was a very nice touch.  
> -j-dizzle20114 (Wattpad) with Have Faith in Me One Shot Contest Entry. This one had a much darker background and I welcomed that gladly! Angst just happens to be my favorite genre and this was written wonderfully. I was very afraid of what was going to happen to my poor little Ian, but luckily everything wrapped up nicely with Audrina and Anthony. The way Anthony came back was so emotional! I cried a lot reading this and I’d say that that is a compliment.  
> -4Ash_Ash4 (Wattpad) with Baby Steps. This one was so cute! I thought that Ian having a journal was very original and it helped advance the plot. I also loved how Mari was so involved with Audrina. Her birthday party was honestly so adorable and I was smiling the whole time reading it. I thought that them teaching her to walk was such a sweet and real milestone and that it made for an excellent and entertaining one shot!  
> -forever_unanonymous (Wattpad) with Thanks for the Memories. The beginning of this story reminded me of the WORST PARENTS EVER Smosh video. I thought that it was cute how Anthony gave Audrina back to Ian and that their relationship progressed slowly and realistically. Also, the title and some of the elements of the story are from a Fall Out Boy song (which you should all already know and I happen to loooooove Fall Out Boy!), and that was fantastic. I loved how Anthony really left things up to Ian!  
> -EmmySmosher713 (Archive or Our Own & Fanfiction) with Measuring Cups. This one really had a focus on Audrina and I really, really liked that. It had a great inner dialogue and I loved how she wanted more than anything to have a good Father’s Day gift for her dads. I thought that it was very realistic that she would think of her Kindergarten class and her classmates. Also, Ian and Anthony were just adorable at the end!  
> -LittleMissFanGirl14 (Fanfiction) with Sweet Poison. This one was also very focused on Audrina, but it was much darker, which I loved! It was real, raw, and very emotional. I don’t think that anyone else even thought to write about Audrina as a teenager, much less as one in an abusive relationship. The ending was also very real, but I am also glad that it ended the way that it did. I loved that even though Ian and Anthony were overprotective, even they did not know of her abuse. That was so true that it hurt.  
> Please don’t be upset if you don’t win. Remember, there could only be one winner and that was a VERY hard decision because there were so many good ones. However, I have made a decision!  
> The runner up is Sweet Poison.  
> The winner is Measuring Cups!  
> Congrats to both of you! Thank you to everyone that entered the contest. I very much appreciate it and they were all so wonderful!


	21. We're a Family!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welllll, this is the last chapter of Have Faith in Me! It’s also ridiculously long because I was emotional and just kept thinking of cute little moments I just HAD to add and I knew you guys would like that. I am a bit sad to see it ending because I’ve been working on it for an entire year. Anyway, even though this story is over, I will definitely still be writing PLENTY of Ianthony! It’s my OTP and I’ve got a couple different ideas for some new stories. Look out for those in the upcoming months. I don’t know how busy I’ll be just yet. Enjoy the last chapter, guys and thank you all so much! Also this is so fluffy I want to die I hate fluff I love angst what the heck am I doing??? :D

    Blue eyes fluttered open, stinging due to the bright LA morning. The man that they belonged to suppressed the urge to grimace as he could tell that it was early in the morning.  
      
    The biggest differences between living in the Sacramento suburbs and a Los Angeles townhouse were the lights and buzz. In Sacramento, he could sleep as late as he wanted and the only disruption would be a thin gleam through his curtains, the paperboy, and nine to five workers heading to the office. However, LA was constantly loud with all kinds of people doing all kinds of different things. And even though there were blackout curtains on the huge bay window in he and Anthony’s bedroom, each morning the sun still somehow shone in and woke him up.  
  
    Sighing, Ian shut his eyes again, hoping that he could somehow go back to sleep. He knew that this was impossible, however, when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and lips on his right temple. “Morning,” he heard in his ear.  
  
    He smiled softly, his heartbeat turning to a faster pace. “Good morning.”  
  
    “We should get up,” Anthony murmured, hugging Ian close to him.  
  
    Ian chuckled. “You say that and then you squeeze me closer?”  
  
    “I love you,” Anthony whispered, pressing a kiss onto his husband’s shoulder.    
  
    Softening, Ian turned around to kiss Anthony’s mouth. “I love you, too.”  
  
    So much in Ian’s life had changed in the past year. After an impromptu, drunken threesome, he and Anthony had become the caregivers to a very sad, very neglected baby girl. He’d fallen in love with her and even more in love with his best friend — who eventually fell for him, too. But after the girl’s mother returned, he and Anthony’s relationship had been tested beyond anything either of them could have ever imagined. They both fell into immense depression before Anthony was finally able to fix it. And then, everything had finally fallen into place.  
  
    Shortly after he and Anthony had gotten Audrina back and gotten back together, they moved back into the Smosh house together, soon realizing that it simply wasn’t going to be big enough for the three of them. Not only that, but due to the fact that the Smosh  brand was expanding, they were having to spend more and more time in Los Angeles. It just made sense for them to move. So after a beach wedding in Santa Monica, Ian and Anthony decided to move to LA.  
      
Due to the fact that Audrina took up a good amount of their time, they added on a few new members for the main Smosh channel: Keith, Olivia, Noah, Courtney, and Shayne. At first, the fans were a bit skeptical, but warmed up to them quickly. They were busier than ever, but they were also happier than ever before.  
  
    “We should probably get up, though,” Ian sighed, resting back down on his pillow.  
  
    Anthony scoffed and shut his eyes. “Why?” he whined.  
  
    “Because,” Ian said, chuckling, “it’s kind of your daughter’s birthday. And she’s kind of having a birthday party. And we kind of have to get to the Smosh Games HQ soon.”  
  
    They’d decided to hold her birthday party in the room where they regularly filmed Game Bang and they’d invited the Smosh Games crew, the Smosh crew — new and old members alike, their Youtube friends, and even some of their family.  
  
    Needless to say, Ian and Anthony’s families were a little more than surprised. Anthony’s dad welcomed Ian quickly into the family and his little sister was excited to have a niece. Ian’s parents — especially Cheryl — claimed to have known all along and his sister, Melissa’s son was glad to have another playmate. Anthony’s mom, on the other hand was less than enthused at first. It wasn’t that she had an issue with Ian at all. She’d loved him like her own sons for almost the entirety of her life. And it certainly wasn’t due to the fact that she had an issue with them being gay. It was just that she knew of the struggles that her son and Ian were soon to face, especially with having a daughter. She wasn’t happy to hear of how Audrina was conceived — at all — but once she saw the tiny girl’s face, she was hooked.  
  
    They all were.  
  
    And all had shown up to their wedding with big, happy smiles.  
  
    Anthony groaned. “I know. I just want to lay with you forever, though-”  
  
    Before he could finish his whines, a loud cry jolted him.  
  
    “There’s your daughter,” Ian chuckled.  
  
    Anthony pressed another kiss to Ian’s forehead. “Yours too. You can stay here. I’ll get her.”  
  
    Ian grinned, shaking his head. “Go ahead, but I’m still gonna go get in the shower. We’ve really got to get going.”  
  
    Anthony pushed himself off of the bed and quickly slid on a pair of plaid pajama pants and a gray T-shirt. Then, he dashed off to Audrina’s room, leaving Ian alone.  
  
    Ian stretched and took a deep breath, slowly getting up and heading to the master  
bathroom. He passed the his and her (more accurately, his and his) sinks, the jacuzzi, and finally found his way to the walk-in shower. Smosh had never been about the money, but he had to admit, it was a nice bonus.  
  
    He turned the shower on and stepped in, his mind completely on the party that was to occur later that day.  
  
    Meanwhile, Anthony had made it to Audrina’s room and taken her out of her crib. She’d immediately stopped crying when he’d stepped in the room. “You just wanted to make sure I knew you were awake, huh, baby?” he’d asked her, lowering the bars on the crib and picking her up and out of the crib.  
  
    She’d giggled a little as he tickled her stomach and he breathed a sigh of relief. Each time Audrina cried or smiled or frowned or laughed, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of euphoria. Even though they’d taken Audrina for physical and psychological examinations and had passed with flying colors, he still worried greatly about her. His mother claimed the worry would never go away. But Anthony was concerned that she would have mental illnesses later on in life due to her neglect very young. The professionals tried their best to convince him that just as long as she was well taken care of and loved, she would be just fine.  
  
    They also recommended putting her in a play group and preschool as early as possible, which worried him. Audrina tended to have separation anxiety from he and Ian. She was fine if they were in the room with her, but if they left her with someone else — even just for a moment — she would get fussy. Sometimes, she’d even cry. All he could do was hope that she grew out of it.  
  
    “It’s your birthday!” he exclaimed, setting her down on the changing table. He wasn’t as weirded out with changing diapers as he once had been, but he still found it a bit gross. That being said, he had the entire process down pat and it was almost second nature to him.  
  
    Once Audrina was all cleaned up and in a fresh diaper, he kissed her forehead. “What do you want to wear today?” He picked her up and walked her over to the closet. She instantly pointed to a red velvet dress and Anthony laughed.  
  
    “I think that’s perfect for LA in January, huh, baby?” He took it out of her closet and sat her down on the floor. He then put the dress over her head and buttoned it up in the back.  
  
    Anthony scanned the floor of Audrina’s closet, searching for a pair of shoes to match the dress. He stopped on a pair of gold velcro sandals and settled on them. He fastened them onto her feet and then picked her up again, studying her very messy curls.  
  
    Thankfully, they’d grown back just as they had been before. At her first haircut appointment, the stylist had cut her hair short, thus eliminating her beautiful chestnut curls. They denied it later mercilessly later, but he and Ian had both cried.  
  
    “We’ll let Daddy do your hair, huh, princess?” Anthony asked, chuckling.  
  
    Luckily for him, Ian had since gotten out of the shower and gotten dressed. He looked great in a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black button-down shirt, and black boots.  
  
    “We will, huh?” Ian asked, taking Audrina from his husband’s arms.  
  
    Anthony nodded profusely. “Yeah, besides, I’ve got to take a shower, too.”  
  
    “And you’ll take much longer than me,” Ian laughed.  
  
    His husband scowled, but did not respond, mostly because he knew that Ian was correct. He looked back, giving his daughter a smile before disappearing into the hallway.  
  
    Ian turned to Audrina and grinned. “You’re in a red dress and sandals, so Daddy did pretty good, huh? We just gotta do something about this hair. Oh, and your little teeth!”  
  
    Since Audrina was a year old now, they knew that it was important for her to try things on her own. She could hold her toothbrush now, but she wasn’t too great at the genuine act of brushing. Oftentimes, she made a mess, which meant that Ian would have to put something over her dress while she brushed.  
  
    He grabbed a small hairbrush off of her dresser and began to slowly and carefully brush through her tangled curls. When she began to jerk away, he sighed and also picked up a bottle of detangler. Soon, her hair was perfectly neat and he’d fastened a matching red bow in her hair.  
  
    “You ready to go, Audri?” Ian asked, pressing a kiss to her hair.  
  
    Audrina smiled. “Yeah!”  
  
    Ian chuckled, picking her up. “Then let’s go!”  
  
    Over the past few months, Audrina had began to pick up a couple words, as well. She could say yeah, no, and dada. Dada was currently a universal word for both of her fathers. Ian knew that many children with two dads called them Daddy and Papa, and he’d mentioned that in the dream he’d had months ago. But he wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about mimicking anything that had been in that dream. So, for now, he and Anthony were perfectly content with both being Dada.  
  
    “Anthony!” he called out, stepping into the hallway, “Audrina’s ready to go!”  
  
    When there was no reply, he sighed and looked at Audrina. “Looks like we’re going to just have to go get him.” He tickled her and she giggled as they walked to the master bathroom.  
  
    As Ian suspected, Anthony was still at the mirror putting in hair gel to expertly style his quiff. “Anthony,” he whined.  
  
    “I’m almost finished,” Anthony protested, “I swear.”  
  
    Ian looked back at Audrina and kissed her forehead. “Daddy Anthony’s being a douche again, huh, baby?”  
  
    Audrina laughed again. “Dada!” she exclaimed.  
  
    Hearing his daughter’s voice made Anthony smile. Instantly, he put the gel down and turned to his husband and daughter. He gave Ian a small kiss on his mouth before taking Audrina from him and swinging her into the air. She laughed loudly in response, her hair flying around.  
  
    “Hey, hey!” Ian exclaimed, “I just did her hair!”  
  
    Anthony stopped and settled Audrina onto his hip. “Yeah, and she looks beautiful. I love the bow.” He grinned at Ian, kissing him again. “Now, let’s go.”  
  
    With that, the three of them got into Anthony’s car and made the short drive to the Smosh Games Headquarters.  
  
    When they arrived, the Game Bang room was completely dark. Everyone was hoping to surprise Audrina.  
  
    “Dark,” Audrina said from Ian’s arms, tugging on his shirt. She wasn’t terrified of the dark, but she wasn’t fond of it either and definitely preferred sleeping with her Franklin nightlight rather than sleeping in complete blackness.  
  
    Anthony chuckled. “I wonder why…,” he trailed off slyly, flicking the lights on in the room.  
  
    “Surprise!” erupted from the room and he looked over, seeing the shock on his daughter’s face. Then, she began to giggle and her blue eyes began to sparkle.  
  
    Looking around, Anthony could see that everyone invited had arrived. The room was decorated quite nicely with a theme of purple rabbits, founded completely on the fact that Audrina’s most favorite toy was her beloved stuffed, purple rabbit. The cakes were set on a table in the middle of the room: a normal sheet cake for the guests and a small Winnie the Pooh bear cake for Audrina to rip into on her own. On a table beside this one, there was a huge pile of presents just for their daughter.  
  
    Before Ian or Anthony could move, Mari and Sohinki were dashing over to them.  
    “Careful, Mari!” Ian exclaimed, clutching Audrina closer to him. “You’re in your third trimester of pregnancy. You can’t just run around like an idiot.”  
  
    Mari rolled her eyes as Sohinki said, “that’s what I keep telling her. She’s gonna mess up our baby.”  
  
    “Shut up, bitch,” Mari snapped, reaching over and taking Audrina from Ian. “I can do whatever the hell I want and if I want to run over and hold and squeeze,” her voice dropped down to a coo, “my goddaughter, I will.”  
  
    Ian thought about telling Mari not to curse around not only his child but hers, but quickly decided against it. She had after all, spent a very long and tiring week preparing for Audrina’s party.  
  
    Soon after he and Anthony had gotten back together, they resolved that it was necessary for them to get their affairs in order. While neither of them intended on going anytime soon, they also knew that things could happen and they needed a plan. Deciding on Audrina’s godparents was a no-brainer. Mari and Sohinki had been supportive of them from the start and Mari especially knew of Audrina’s needs. Besides, they were married soon after Ian and Anthony were and they both had good heads on their shoulders. Everything else went totally to Audrina: their cars, their homes, their affairs, and Smosh totally belonged to her. Their friends at Smosh Games were all given a shared portion of Smosh Games, but Ian and Anthony’s shares were wholly Audrina’s.  
  
    “Happy birthday!” Mari cooed, tickling her goddaughter and walking over to the rest of the Smosh Games guys.  
  
    Anthony smiled, quickly following after them. However, Ian spotted someone else he wanted to speak to and went in the opposite direction. Troye was standing with Tyler and their daughter, Zoe, whilst talking to Dan Howell and Phil Lester, another Youtube couple that Ian had recently found out to be gay. He waited for Troye to stop talking and look up and see him.  
  
    Tyler nudged him and then laughed, “you’ve got a pretty little visitor, Troye. But remember who you come home to.”  
  
    Troye smiled softly, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. “Tyler, he’s married to Anthony Padilla. I doubt he wants me at all.”  
  
    Ian smirked at Tyler, grabbing Troye’s arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll be quick.” Then he winked.  
  
    “Oh, please,” Tyler drawled, “take as long as you need. But keep in mind that if you take too long, I’ll come find you and will not be held responsible for my actions.”  
  
    Chuckling, Ian led Troye away from the group to a somewhat empty spot and gave him a big smile.  
  
    Troye grinned back, furrowing his brows. “So…What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”  
  
    Ian shrugged, his smile softening. “I just wanted to thank you.”  
  
    “What?” Troye asked, frowning  
  
    Nodding, Ian continued. “You’ve helped me more than you could ever know. At the meeting, you and Tyler showed me how happy I could be and inspired me to be an even better parent to Audrina. In fact, I would bet that if we had never came to that meeting, Anthony and I would have never gotten together.”  
  
    Troye was silent for a moment before chuckling. “Well, I’m happy that Tyler and I were able to help you, but I’m sure you would have eventually figured it out. You and Anthony are soulmates, plain and simple. Everyone knew it even before you two stepped into the meeting. Some of us had bets on which youtubers would eventually come out and you guys were at the very top of the list.”  
  
    Ian laughed. “I guess it was always obvious that I was crazy about Anthony, huh?”  
  
    Troye nodded. “Yeah, but it was just as obvious that he was crazy about you.”  
  
    “I-I never noticed,” Ian admitted, blushing, “but I guess it all worked itself out. We’re happy. Audri’s happy. Smosh is greater than ever. And we’ve got the best friends in the world.” He looked around the room, putting everything in perspective.”  
  
    Troye smiled, tapping Ian affectionately on the arm. “I’m happy for you, Ian. So happy for you.”  
  
    “Thank you,” Ian replied. “Seriously.”  
  
    With that, Ian headed back to Audrina and Anthony and Troye back to Tyler. He grinned when he saw his mother holding his daughter in her arms.  
  
    “Hey, Mom!” he exclaimed, giving her a hug, careful of Audrina.  
      
    She hugged him back as best she could. “Ian! How are you?”  
  
    Ian kissed her cheek. “Absolutely perfect.”  
      
    She smiled, turning her attention to Anthony, who was a few feet away talking to his own mother. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. And I know that Anthony has always made you happy.” She pressed a kiss to Audrina’s hair. “And Audrina really completed it. I’ve never seen you more content, son.”  
      
    Ian beamed. “Yeah, things really seemed to have fallen into place. Audrina has really come out of her shell, too. She loves everyone in her life.” Then he softened. “Especially his grandmas.”  
  
    Carol smiled again. “I can’t exactly speak for Leezah, but I believe it’s safe to say that we love her just as much.” She then looked up and saw Anthony making his way toward them. “Well, I believe that it's time for Audrina to blow out her candles, huh?”  
  
    “Candle,” Ian corrected, “and I believe that you’re right.”  
  
    Anthony stepped up and took Audrina from Carol’s arms whilst Ian loudly cleared his throat.  
  
    “Thanks for coming, everybody!” Ian exclaimed, “now I know we all want to get to the drinks and such,” he paused as everyone in the room laughed, “but for now, we’re going give Audrina her cake and sing happy birthday. Ready everyone?”  
  
    The guests all took their places and Anthony started them all out with a deep breath and a loud ‘happy.’  
  
    As Ian sang along, he looked around the room. He saw Sohinki holding onto Mari, his hand draped over her stomach. He saw Joven and Lasercorn, singing and holding one another’s hands fondly. Wes and Flitz were spinning each other around as Tyler and Troye laughed loudly and took snapchat videos. He and Anthony’s parents were looking on fondly as they snapped a myriad amount of photographs. Finally, he looked to his right and saw his wonderful husband holding their absolutely beautiful daughter.  
  
    Once the singing finished, Ian placed the small cake in front of Audrina. Instantly, she grabbed a handful of it and flung it into her mouth, most of it going all over her little face. He laughed and Anthony did, too, taking his hand.  
  
    “You can all help yourself to the food and drinks now,” Anthony announced.  
  
    “Thank God,” Shane Dawson exclaimed. “Everyone here knows that’s the whole reason I came.”  
  
    It wasn’t, but everyone laughed anyway.       
  
    As the guests began to help themselves to the refreshments, Ian and Anthony hung around, still watching Audrina plow into her cake.    
    “This is without a doubt the cutest thing I’ve personally ever seen,” Anthony said, giving Ian a huge smile.”  
  
    Ian nodded. “It is. She’s really enjoying the part, best I can tell, anyway.”  
  
    Chuckling, Anthony leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Ian’s lips. “Thank you,” he whispered.  
  
    “For what?” Ian asked, “putting in all of the work for the party?”  
  
    “No!” Anthony laughed, “if anyone should be thanked, it’s Mari.”  
  
    Ian nodded. “I can’t argue with that fact.”       
  
    Anthony went on. “No, I want to thank you for having faith in me. Having faith that I had what it took to be a good father, a good husband. You’ve made me an honest man, Ian. And for that, I can never repay you.”  
  
    At Anthony’s words, Ian felt himself begin to tear up. “Th-thank you, Anthony. I really appreciate that. But in that case, I have to thank you, too. For giving me Audrina. For loving me. For making me the happiest man in the world.”  
  
    Standing on his tiptoes, he pressed his lips against Anthony’s again, completely ignoring everyone else in the room. They broke the kiss when they heard a loud, emanating giggle.  
  
    “Dada!” Audrina exclaimed, hurling cake at the both of them. Everyone in the room, including he and Anthony, laughed as their shirts were stained with bright purple icing.  
  
    But at that moment, it didn’t matter that the shirts were designer and very expensive. It didn’t matter that they’d be exhausted and sore tomorrow. It didn’t matter that the road to here had been completely and utterly rocky. All that mattered was that finally, he had Anthony and Audrina both in his arms, from now and forever.  
  
  _This is my life_ , Ian thought to himself. _And I wouldn’t want it any other way._  
    


End file.
